Not So 7th Heaven
by musicnutftw
Summary: Raina Highwind is Cid's niece. She has a head for airships and a strange past that leads her uncle to be very protective. When she meets Cloud and his friends, she delves into the past she's tried so hard to forget in order to fight for the future she so desperately wants. (Some dialogue in the style of the original game. Bear with me.)
1. Chapter 1

I remember the day the rain fell all over. I remember the feel of the Stigma disappearing from my body. I remember getting better. And I remember what happened next…like it was yesterday.

…

"Raina, answer the damn door!"

I pulled my hair back, sighing. My uncle preferred yelling at me rather than just talking like a normal person. It was almost endearing. Almost.

Getting to my feet, I stretched as high as I could, feeling returning to my feet. Being crouched down, fixing airship parts was a pain, really. At the same time, there was little I enjoyed more.

"Raina!"

"I'm on it!" I shouted, shaking my head. "Impatient old goat."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" I called, smiling. Tromping down the steps that led to the front door of the ship, I wondered who would be knocking. There weren't many people brave enough to venture this far out of Edge anymore.

I pushed open the door to find a man standing there. His eyes were the bluest blue I'd ever seen, and his hair was spiky and yellow. I felt my heart skip a beat. He might have been the most handsome man I'd ever met.

"Um, hi," I said, swallowing and remembering my manners. "Can I help you?"

The man's eyes darted behind me for a moment before saying, "Is Cid here?"

"Yeah. Cid!" I called, turning to look back inside the ship. "Guy here for you."

"Who the hell is it?!" he shouted back.

I turned back to the man whose expression hadn't changed. So serious…. He stared at me, and I wondered if he hadn't heard my uncle's shout. "What's your name?" I asked, feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Cloud," he said, his voice low and soft.

"Cloud!" I shouted behind me.

There was a clanking sound, and then Cid said, "#$%*! Send him in!"

I stepped aside, gesturing for Cloud to enter. He nodded his head at me, walking past me. I shut the door behind us, leading the way into the heart of the ship. I climbed up the steps and onto the bridge where my uncle was rubbing his head with one hand.

"Cloud! You bastard, how've you been?"

"Fine," Cloud said, shrugging.

I stretched again, figuring I'd leave my uncle and the handsome stranger to their own business. Before I could even take a step, Cid said, "Cloud, this is my niece, Raina."

Cloud looked at me for a long moment, his serious expression and steady gaze making me uneasy again.

"Hiya," I said, trying to ease the weird feeling in the air. He didn't say anything, just let my word fall between us.

Finally, he smiled a little. "Hey."

I had to stop my eyes from popping out of my head. That smile. My face flamed bright red, and I coughed a little, pretending that was the cause.

"She was pretty sick up until you took care of Sephiroth that last time. The Stigma and all."

Cloud nodded. "You had it too, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. That rain that fell healed me, though." I sighed. "It felt like the touch of an old friend."

"It did," he said, closing his eyes for a moment before turning to Cid. "Barret wanted to know if he could use your airship for something."

"Why didn't the bastard come here himself to ask?" Cid said, reaching for the wrench he kept in his belt. He tossed it up in the air, catching it.

Cloud shrugged. "He's busy."

"Yeah, well…Raina!"

I jumped, something dropping from my hand and hitting floor with a sharp sound. My knees give out, and I fall, blinking in shock. I'd unconsciously been holding my Bahamut materia while listening to my uncle and Cloud.

With one swift move, I scooped the materia into my pocket, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I'm sorry," I whispered, getting to my feet. "I didn't even realize."

"You shouldn't keep that damn thing with you," Cid said, shaking his head.

I shrugged. "It's comforting."

"When you die of Mako poisoning, don't blame me."

"Bite me," I muttered, pulling the ribbon out of my hair and then putting it up again. Nervous habit.

"Mako poisoning?" Cloud asked.

"It's a long story," I said, sighing. "Maybe I'll tell you some day."

He looked at me for an unsettling moment, and I found my hand instinctively going for the materia again before I realized what I was doing. I narrowed my eyes, turning and heading to the pilot's seat so I could continue working on adjusting the sensitivity of the controls.

Airships were so much easier to understand than attractive men with cool expressions and intense gazes.


	2. Chapter 2

"Girl!"

"Old man!" I called in response.

"Get your #$% up! We've got some flying to do." Cid came into the engine room where I was taking a break from the tedious tweaks and quirks of mechanics. Of course he had to come in when I was relaxing. He probably thought this airship just put itself together.

"What are we doing?" I said, getting to my feet.

"A friend of mine needs some help, so we're gonna meet him and talk out specifics."

"Sounds fun," I drawled.

"Come on." He paused. "Wash your face."

"Bite me," I muttered, pushing past him and into the airship's bathroom. There was oil all over my hands and a few streaks on my face. Nothing wrong with that, really. Perhaps not the best for first impressions, whoever these friends of Uncle Cid's were.

I turned on the water and proceeded to scrub the signs of my hard work from my face and hands. All clean. Now Cid had nothing to yell at me for…for about a minute.

"Raina!"

"Whaaaaat?" I whined. I didn't even get a minute, apparently.

"Hurry up, Cloud's waiting." Cloud. Unbidden, an image of spiky yellow hair and blue eyes popped into my head. I sighed. Mustn't keep that guy waiting.

"Cid, have you…." My words dropped off as I rounded the corner and came face to face with Cloud himself. "Oh, uh sorry." I backpedaled a few steps. "Have you seen Cid?"

"No," Cloud said. "You're not going to fly this, are you?"

"This?" I gestured to the space around us. "This ship won't be ready to fly for a while. Too many little things. I think we're going to walk."

He looked around. "Then I might as well go now."

I frowned. "How did you get here?"

"My bike," he said.

I laughed. "I hope you don't mean a bicycle."

"Not hardly."

"Raina, where are you!?" Cid shouted.

"Right here," I replied. "With Cloud."

Cid came from the engine room, shaking his head. "Let's go." We followed Cloud out of the ship, and I saw what he meant by bike. A sleek, black motorcycle was waiting at the foot of the walkway.

"Nice bike," I muttered, and Cloud laughed. I looked up at him, surprised. He didn't seem like the type to laugh so easily. A smile still lingered on his face as he walked over to his bike, straddling it and sliding on a pair of sunglasses.

"I'll meet you there," he said to Cid before revving the bike and taking off.

Cid shook his head. "He never changes."

I sighed. "Cid, where are we going?"

…

The closer we went to the heart of town, the more I wished I was back with my ship. When I was little, I'd been a social butterfly, wanting to talk to and meet everyone. After my father had died, I'd shut down a little. And then….

I shuddered. Some things weren't for remembering so easily. I reached for the materia in my pocket, brushing the smooth, round surface just once, feeling the dizzying jolt of Mako.

"Denzel!" a little voice said.

Up ahead, a young girl and boy were playing in front of a building that bore a sign reading "7th Heaven". The boy laughed at the girl, a great big smile on his face.

Just then, a woman walked out of 7th Heaven, her hands on her hips. "Marlene, Denzel, come on inside. Cid should be here soon." She looked from the kids to where my uncle and I stood, her face brightening. "Cid!"

"Hey, there, Tifa," Cid said, grinning.

"Hi, Cid." She turned to look at me, her shiny black hair swishing. "Who's this?"

"My niece, Raina." Cid pushed me forward, and I stumbled, righting myself just before I fell.

"Geez," I muttered. I looked at the beautiful young woman in front of me. She was wearing a blank tank top and black shorts. That and the lean lines of her body seemed to scream that she was a fighter. This woman had seen her share of hardships.

"I'm Raina," I said, offering her my hand.

She took it, shaking firmly, a smile on her face. "I'm Tifa. Nice to meet you." She seemed so cheerful. It made me feel a little happier just to be around her. That was when I noticed the two kids hiding behind her.

"Denzel and Marlene, you said?" Tifa nodded, and I smiled. "Hi, guys."

"Are you really Cid's niece?" the boy asked, frowning. His moppy brown hair was pretty cute.

"I am," I said.

"Where were you when everyone was fighting last time?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Last time…."

"When the Stigma was here!"

"She was sick," Cid said. Denzel's gaze shifted to my uncle. "She had the Stigma too."

"That didn't stop Cloud from fighting," Denzel replied. He gave me a dark look.

"Denzel, that's rude." Tifa shook her head. "Go inside." The boy ran into the building, and Tifa sighed. "Sorry. He's a little distrusting of strangers."

"I don't blame him," I replied.

"Well, everyone's waiting," Tifa said. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

"Where's that bastard, Barret?" Cid called. "I got business to talk with him."

"He's downstairs," Tifa said as we followed her through the door.

It turned out that 7th Heaven was a bar. There was a great long bar behind which was a few taps and a row of shining glass mugs. It was dark inside and all the tables and chairs were made of wood. All in all, it wasn't a bad space.

In the center of the room was a large table around which a few people were gathered. I recognized Cloud but not the girl who was talking to him. She had short black hair and a kid's face. Energy bounced from every inch of her…and she had was wearing the coolest shoes I'd ever seen.

There was a strange red animal, almost a dog, but with feline features laying near the table. It almost looked like it was listening to Cloud and the girl's conversation. Another man with dark hair sat there, his hands folded, an amused smile on his face.

"Hey, everyone, Cid's here." Tifa waved at the table, and all eyes fell on Cid and me.


	3. Chapter 3

Cid scratched his head, waving at the table full of people. "Hey, y'all."

"Who's that?" the girl with short hair asked, pointing at me.

"This is Raina, Cid's niece," Tifa said, her smile the only thing keeping me from hiding my face. Too many eyes one me. The little girl, Marlene, headed deeper into the bar, leaving us to whatever we were here doing.

"Hey, where's Barret?" Cid said, looking at Tifa.

"Downstairs," she said.

Cid headed away, waving a hand at me. "Y'all treat her nice." I watched as he walked around the bar, my stomach dropping down to my feet. Thanks, Cid. Leave me in a room full of strangers. It's all good.

"Wait," I said, looking at Tifa. "I thought Cloud said Barret wasn't here."

"That's the only way to get Cid here without a lot of shouting," Tifa said, smiling. She put her hands on her hips. "Now let's introduce you to everyone, shall we."

She headed over to the table where the short-haired girl eyed me with interest. "Raina, this is Yuffie," Tifa said, gesturing to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Yuffie!" she said, bouncing up to me and offering her hand. I shook it.

"Nice to meet you. And, um, nice boots."

She looked down at her feet, grinning. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Kicking," I muttered, a small smile on my face. Another happy person. Though much bouncier than Tifa.

The man with dark hair stood, offering me his hand. "I'm Reeve. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," I said, barely refraining from adding "sir" to the end of it. Something about him screamed mature adult. Maybe even businessman.

"You've met Cloud," Tifa said, gesturing to the spikey-haired man who sat with his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face.

He nodded at me, and I nodded back, uncertain. He looked so foreboding.

"Lighten up, Cloud, or you'll scare the new girl," Yuffie said, bouncing at my side.

He laughed. "Right."

"It's fine," I said, blushing. "He couldn't scare me." He raised an eyebrow at me, and I spluttered, "Well, I mean, you know."

"Relax, young lady." Reeve said, a hand on my shoulder. "We're all more bark than bite."

"Except for Red," Yuffie giggled.

"Very funny." I blinked in surprise, looking down at the strange animal on the floor, my eyes wide.

"Raina, this is Red XIII, though we usually just call him Red."

"A pleasure," the animal said, getting to his feet and making a sweeping gesture with one paw.

"Likewise," I said, trying to make the surprise fade from my face. It seemed, uh…rude.

"Well, take a seat," Tifa said, gesturing to a chair next to Yuffie and Red XIII. "Do you want a drink?" She frowned. "I don't actually know if you're old enough for alcohol."

I smiled. "I don't drink anyway."

"All right," she said, smiling.

"Waaaaait," Yuffie whined. "How old are you? I want to know if I'm still the youngest."

"Twenty-one," I said, smiling. "Recently."

"Dang it!" she shouted.

"Don't be in such a hurry to get old," Tifa said, smiling.

Yuffie stuck out her tongue. "You can say that because you're not the youngest."

"She's not exactly the oldest either," Reeve said, smiling.

"Who is?" Yuffie said, frowning.

"Technically, that's probably—"

"Me." I jumped at the sound of a very deep voice. All eyes flew to the entrance to the bar where a strangely dressed man with terrifying red eyes stood. He had a red cape and a claw where one hand should be.

"Vincent," Tifa said, getting to her feet. "I thought you couldn't make it."

"Plans changed. Turns out I'm free." He walked over to the table, pulling out a chair and settling next to Cloud. His eyes fell on me.

"Vincent, this is Raina." Tifa gestured between the two of us.

Vincent nodded and I said, "Hi, I'm Cid's niece."

"A pleasure." His low voice sent shivers through me.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. Barret's going to need all the help he can get with this one." Tifa got to her feet, looking around her.

Just then, a door slammed open from somewhere inside the bar. Cid stepped from around the bar followed by a huge black man with…a gun where his hand should have been. My uncle's friends were impressive. And frightening.

"All right, y'all, Barret's here!" the black man shouted. "And Cid's all in."

"Define all in," I said, looking at my uncle.

"I told this #$ he could use my airship," Cid said, smiling.

"Little #$%&," Barret yelled.

"Hey, if you're gonna start yelling, get out of my bar," Tifa said, getting to her feet and dropping her hands to her hips.

"Yes, ma'am," Cid said, snapping a salute.

"All right, let's get this damn thing started!" Barret yelled. A dirty look from Tifa made him quiet down. "Turns out this world ain't lookin for oil. We need something new! So, the other day, that #$ Rufus called me up. Said he's found something that'll help us out."

"Only problem is, he needs some muscle to get to it. Says it's guarded by some monsters. So, I'm gonna need a few men to talk with Rufus and his men, get the information from him. The rest of us can do the actual foot work. Who's in?"

"My ship, I'm comin!" Cid called.

"Fine. Who else?"

"I have no qualms with speaking with Rufus," Reeve said.

"I'll accompany you," Red XIII said. "No sense in soiling my paws in this."

"A'ight. Cloud, you comin to fight?"

"Sure," Cloud said. "We can take Vincent too."

"That's fine by me," Vincent said.

"I'll hold down the fort," Tifa said. "I've got a lot of paperwork from the delivery business to take care of anyway."

"Raina, you stay here," Cid said.

"Fine by me." The name Rufus had given me shivers. They couldn't possibly mean….

"I'll stay too! I wanna get to know the new girl better!" Yuffie grabbed my arm, jumping up and down. "Woo!"

"Calm down, Yuffie, you're scaring her." Cloud shook his head, and Yuffie sighed.

"Fine." Mercifully, she let me go. I sighed in relief, and everyone laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept somewhere that wasn't either in an airship or my bed at home. Tifa had offered up her room for Yuffie and I to share with her while the men slept downstairs. Tomorrow was the day they'd all head out to…do whatever it was they had planned. The details were fuzzy after everything that had happened today.

I was awake, counting the wood panels in the ceiling. Nothing could get me to sleep just now. With a sigh, I sat up. Might as well get some water. Perhaps that would help me find rest.

My steps were careful, lest I wake Tifa or Yuffie. The younger girl snored a little. It was almost cute. I tiptoed across the wooden floorboards and closed the door behind me. The only water I knew of was down the stairs, in the kitchen that was behind the bar.

As I made my way down, I heard some voices coming from the main room. Some of the men were still up. When I hit the landing, I caught my uncle's voice clearly.

"Yeah, orphan." I paused, mid-stride. Was he talking about me?

"What happened to her parents?" That sounded like Reeve.

"Her mother died shortly after having her. Her father died in the war with Wutai." Cid's voice wavered slightly, and I wondered if he was remembering his brother. He used to tell me stories from their childhood. I knew they had been close.

"It is a pity." That one must have been Red. "You have taken care of her ever since?"

"Yeah. She's been a handful, and I did a #$% job of looking out for her."

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Cid had done everything he could to look out for me, and I was beyond grateful. It had all been my fault. My hand reached for the materia I always carried with me, but it wasn't there. I'd set it in my shoes before bed. That was likely a good thing.

"Why does she carry that materia with her?" Cloud, this time. Was everyone up asking for stories of my past?

"It's Bahamut. She's…bonded with it."

"Bonded?" Reeve asked.

"It's a long story. Even I don't know all the details. Makes her sick, though, if she touches it too long."

"Mako poisoning?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. Her whole body's laced with the stuff. Too much."

I felt my body start to tremble, and I had to grasp the stair rail to hold myself up. It all threatened to rush back in, every memory I'd ever suppressed, every nightmare I'd ever dreamed. I swallowed back bile, tears in my eyes.

With swift, light steps, I rushed back up the stairs, and stopping at the foot of my bed. I reached under it, pulling out my shoes. There it was…that stupid materia. I picked it up, and opened the window beside my bed. I pulled my arm back, and let loose as hard as I could.

If only. I looked at the materia that still rested in my hand, tears falling down my cheeks. With a sigh, I tucked the materia into one of my shoes again before lying down on that bed. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

…

_What a waste of JENOVA cells._

_ Ah, the test subject has returned._

_ It will only hurt worse if you struggle more._

…

_ I won't let them hurt you._

I sat up, my heart pounding and head spinning. It was just a dream. Even her voice. I sighed, getting to my feet. The sun was shining brightly through the window. Someone must have closed it this morning because I'd forgotten to last night.

Yuffie was still snoring in bed, but Tifa wasn't here. Maybe she was downstairs already. I slipped on my shoes, pocketing my materia. After a few stretches and light exercises, I headed downstairs.

There was a fantastic smell coming from the kitchen. I followed it to find Tifa and the little girl dashing around, cooking. I stepped inside, leaning against the wall.

"G'morning," Tifa said, noticing me.

"Good morning. It smells great. Any way I can help?"

"We're just about done," Tifa said, smiling.

"I'll clean up after, then."

"That'd be great." Tifa walked past me, a pan of bacon in her hands. I walked over to where some eggs were boiling.

"It's still hot." I looked down to find the girl looking up at me.

"Marlene, right?" She nodded, looking a little wary.

"Are you Tifa's daughter?"

She shook her head. "Barret's my papa."

I blinked in surprise. "Barret?"

"Yeah. He's not really my dad, but he's the only one I have."

"Oh." I nodded. "I know how that is. Cid's my uncle, but he's the closest to a dad I've had."

"Marlene! Turn off the eggs!" Tifa called.

"All right." Marlene reached up, turning off the stove. I stepped to one side as Tifa and the little girl rushed around, finishing up breakfast. Finally, Tifa clapped her hands together.

"All set. Marlene, go get Denzel. I'll wake Yuffie. Raina, if you'd bring all this out to the front room, that'd be great."

I smiled. "No problem." Once the two had stepped out, I picked up some dishes, making one trip after another to get everything onto a big table in the front of the bar. Once that was done, I noticed a pair of eyes on me.

"Denzel, right?" I said, looking at the young boy.

"And the coward."

I flinched. "I'm no coward."

"Then why don't you fight? You stayed behind today. You weren't there when everyone fought last time."

"I stayed behind today because my uncle asked me to. I was sick last time. Dying of the Stigma."

He looked surprised at this. "You had the Stigma?"

"Yeah. And it nearly killed me."

He was silent for a long moment. "Can you fight?"

"I can," I said. "Maybe I'll show you some day."

Tifa, Marlene, and Yuffie came down the stairs a moment later with Yuffie looking like she was still asleep. "Time for breakfast," Tifa said.

"Yay!" Yuffie cheered, a yawn stretching her mouth wide.

We all sat down, and I felt Denzel's gaze soften toward me. Maybe some of that animosity he'd held for me had died. I could only hope.


	5. Chapter 5

"Um, Raina?"

I stuck my head out from beneath the sink, a wrench in my hand, my hair pulled back with a blue ribbon. "What's up?"

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked. She was standing there, a smile on her face and hands on her hips.

"Your…faucet was leaking? And the water pressure was low."

She laughed. "Anything else you want to fix here?"

"What else is broken?"

…

Yuffie followed me around all day, chattering in my ear. I'd never met someone so curious in my life. She wanted to know everything about everything, and all I wanted was to work.

Whenever my mind was filled with too many things, I needed to work. Fixing things was preferred. Organizing things and moving things was all right. So, after I fixed the faucet this morning, Tifa has given me a list of other things in the bar that needed fixing and some other tools aside from the ones I carried with me to use.

Yes. I carry tools with me.

"Where are you from?"

"Rocket Town."

"When's your birthday?

"April 5."

"What's y—"

"Where are you from, Yuffie?" I asked, if only to stop the barrage of questions.

"Wutai," she said, smiling. I almost dropped my wrench.

"Oh. I-is that so?"

"Yep. I'm a Wutai ninja, you know."

"My father died in the last war against Wutai." I looked down at my hands, wishing I was back on my airship. Or even out adventuring with Cid. Anything rather than being with one of the people whose friends and family could have been responsible for my father's death.

"I knew a lot of people who died in that war," Yuffie said, her voice losing its energy for the first time since I'd met her.

I was an idiot for bringing up this topic. Surely, she knew so many more people who died during that than I did. I looked down at my wrench, sighing. I tossed it into the tool chest Tifa had lent me.

"Give it a kick," I said, looking up at Yuffie.

"What?"

"Kick it," I said, gesturing at the washer I'd just fixed. Yuffie frowned. "Just do it."

She kicked it gently. "Like that?"

"Kick it, girl!" I shouted, and she kicked hard. Suddenly, the washer sprang to life, a rumbling noise filling the small room.

I laughed, and Yuffie smiled. "That's more like it." I turned off the washer. "What else shall we fix?"

"Duck!" I swung my sword, and Denzel ducked. "Now block me!" Denzel raised his own sword, something that Barret had bought for him, apparently. Denzel said he'd been told it was never too early to start learning to defend yourself. It made sense to me.

"Hey, Raina, Denzel, everyone's home!" Marlene popped her head out of the back door of the bar to call for us.

"All right, we'll be in soon," I said, and she slipped back inside. "Let's head in, Denzel. We can pick back up on this later."

"Sure," he said, shrugging. He sheathed his sword and I did the same, slipping it into my belt. We walked inside to find everyone gathered around the same table as the first night I'd met them.

"And we didn't even find nothing!" Barret yelled.

"Perhaps Shinra really has no clue what he's looking for," Red XIII said.

"Just a way to redeem himself," Cloud said.

"It'll take a lot more than just some energy source for that," Cid said. He looked up at me, gesturing for me to come stand near him. I walked over, crossing my arms.

"So, the whole trip was a dud?" I asked.

"Basically," Cloud replied.

I laughed. "Wow, that's great. Shinra doing what he does best. Screwing with people."

"You know Rufus?" Tifa asked.

"Oh." I grimaced. "Sort of. There's history there. Um. I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, anyway, Shinra paid us, so we can afford to fix this place up a little," Barret said.

"Actually Raina's been fixing things all week, so there isn't much to do," Tifa said.

"So, I can blow it on gambling and crap? All right, Cid, let's go!" Barret leaped up from his seat, grabbing my uncle's shoulder.

"No." Tifa gave Barret nothing more than a stern look, but it was enough to get him back in his seat. "We can divvy it up between everyone who went, and you can spend it how you see fit."

"Sensible," Reeve said, smiling. He handed Tifa the money and I watched as she quickly divided it between Cloud, Cid, Vincent, Reeve, Red, and Barret. One day, I would learn to be half as confident as she was. Until then, I would just sit back and let the world move around me.


	6. Chapter 6

It happened when I was practicing with Denzel in the back yard the next day. Cid had decided to stay at a hotel nearby so he could talk business with Barret. Apparently, there was talk of using an airship in their delivery service. It seemed like overkill to me, but it meant I got to stick around a bit longer. Maybe…I could make some friends.

"All right, so just—"

"Duck!" Denzel cried just as I felt a presence behind me. I dropped to the ground, rolling just in time to avoid a massive sword smacking me.

"Trying to kill me?" I asked Cloud. I still wasn't used to the spikey-haired guy. Would I ever be?

"I want to see you fight," he said flatly.

"You could ask." I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. From my pocket I pulled a blue hair ribbon. It didn't take me long to put my hair up in a ponytail, and then I was ready to go. Or so I'd thought.

We crossed swords and began to fight. I mean, really fight. Cloud didn't hold back, and I knew I was going to lose before we'd hardly begun. I was severely out of practice. The Stigma had left me bedridden for a long time, and I'd been so busy fixing airships since the day it rained everywhere.

I hadn't realized how bad I'd become.

It didn't take long before I was sweating and breathing hard. Cloud hadn't even broken a sweat, despite the size of his sword and how long we'd been at it. That was when I noticed the small audience that had gathered.

Tifa and Yuffie, Red XIII and a weird-looking cat, and Marlene and Denzel. Great. Everyone could watch me lose. At least I'd do it with dignity. Cloud was one heck of a fighter. After all the stories Yuffie had told me, that was something I knew really well. I was proud of myself for lasting this long.

Cloud slashed at me, and I lost my footing, trying to dodge. I landed hard on my backside, barely managing to bring my sword up in time to block his next attack. We stayed like that, blade to blade for a long moment before I lowered my sword.

Cloud slung his over his back and offered me his hand. I took it, bouncing to my feet. "You win. Obviously."

I was rewarded with a small smile. "You fight well." Then, he turned and walked back inside Tifa's bar.

"Geez!" I cried when he'd disappeared from sight. Yuffie bounded up to me, Tifa not far behind.

"That was awesome!" Yuffie shouted, a grin on her face. "You guys were so fast!"

"Not fast enough."

"Did you think you would win?" Red XIII asked from where he stood, the cat-thing now on Red's back.

I smiled. "Not for one second." I stretched. "It felt good though. To fight with someone for the first time in forever. My muscles are screaming." I laughed, and Tifa smiled.

"Well, lassie, ye can't win 'em all."

My eyes widened as they fell on the cat. "It talks."

"I forgot," Tifa said as the cat made some more remarks in its weird accent. "Raina, this is Cait Sith. He's…well, it's complicated. Think of him as a stand-in for Reeve."

"Riiiight," I said. I shrugged. "I don't think your group could get any weirder."

"Welcome to it!" Yuffie said, slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks," I replied, laughing.

…

My favorite place in all of Midgar was where I met them for the first time. It was years and years ago, but I remembered it like it was yesterday.

…

The pain. All I could remember was pain. It hurt so much. I gasped for air...and found it. I jerked upward, amazed I could do so, and found myself sitting up. I looked around, breathing real air for the first time in a year. It tasted...strange.

"Hey, easy there." I turned my head to see a man with dark, spiky hair and glowing blue eyes looking at me. "It's okay now. You're safe."

Safe? What did that even mean? I felt my whole body shaking, could feel the mako flowing through me. I felt nauseous, but I had nothing to throw up.

"What's your name?" a soft voice asked. I looked toward the sound to find a girl with long, brown hair, tied up with a red ribbon. She was so pretty and she looked kind. Whatever that meant.

"Raina," I whispered, surprised I could speak at all after so long. My voice was shaky from disuse, and it scared me.

"Well, hi, Raina. I'm Zack," the dark-haired man said. "This is Aerith." The girl waved.

I looked down at my hands, cupped into a bowl. Why were they like that? I couldn't remember.

"When I found you," Zack said, "you were holding this." He placed a strange, glowing sphere in my cupped hands. It only took me a moment to recognize the materia. I felt tears on my cheeks, and I threw the materia away from me, anger and anguish surging through me. I shuddered, not sure if it was in revulsion or because of the mako.

"Hey, are you hungry?"

I looked up at Zack, confused. "H-hungry?"

"Yeah! Food? Good?" He rubbed his stomach, and Aerith smiled.

"I...can't...remember the last time...I...ate real food." My words were halting as I struggled to make the sounds I hadn't made in a year.

"I'll go get some! Be right back!" Zack sprung to his feet, dashing away in search of food.

I looked back at my hands, clenching and unclenching them. Blood rushed through my fingers, but I ignored the tingling. "Where am I?" I asked.

"Sector 5," Aerith said. "This is a church in the slums."

"Midgar, then?" I said.

"Yep."

"Huh. Do you...live here?"

"Mm-mm. I spend a lot of time here, though. It's like my second home."

"Home," I whispered. "It'd be nice to call this place...home." I found myself smiling. "You've got flowers too. I didn't think they could grow in Midgar."

"They grow here. And at my house too. Zack and I are gonna sell them."

"I'd buy some flowers," I said. "I haven't seen flowers...in a long time."

"Hey!" Aerith and I turned to see Zack come in with his arms full of food. He sat down next to us, passing the food around. "Enjoy!"

I stared at what was in my hands for a long moment before taking a bite. I chewed slowly, my muscles remembering the feeling. When I swallowed, it was like I could hear the sound of the food hitting my empty stomach. I ate slowly, afraid my body might reject solid food after all this time.

"So," Zack said, "where are you from?"

"Rocket Town," I said through a mouth full of food.

"Rocket Town? Really?"

I nodded. "My uncle's supposed to be the first man in space." I frowned. "Unless things have changed since I've been gone."

"Raina, what happened? Why did I find you in a tank in the Shinra lab?"

I looked up into Zack's glowing eyes. Surely I could trust the man who got me out of that awful place. "They were...running tests on me."

"What kind of tests?"

I held out my hand. Zack looked at it for a moment before placing the materia I'd thrown earlier into it. "They bound me to a summon."

"Bound you?" Zack frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The scientist, Hojo... He liked human experiments. He...I don't know how he did it. What I do know is that this creature, this summoned monster will never hurt me."

"What is it?"

I smiled wryly. "Bahamut."

"No way!" Zack laughed. "The Dragon King won't hurt you?"

I shook my head, dropping the materia onto the ground next to me. "I don't think it was worth the price."

"What price?" Aerith asked.

"Mako poisoning. Every minute of every day in a state of mako poisoning. It got to the point where my body rejected all forms of mako. They told me that my body would be on the brink of mako poisoning for the rest of my life. Hojo said it was the only way to make me align with the materia's energy."

"That's terrible," Aerith said.

I laughed. "That's one word for it." I looked up at Zack. "You have mako in your eyes."

"SOLDIER," he said. "First Class."

"That's something to be proud of, I guess." I looked down at my shaking hands. Would I ever stop trembling?

"It was. Things are...wrong...nowadays."

There was a ringing sound, and I flinched. "What-"

Zack pulled a phone from his pocket, flipping it open. "Yeah?" Silence. "All right, all right." He flipped the phone shut, standing. "I have to go."

"Work?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah." Zack put his hand on my head, ruffling my hair. "I'll see you later, kid."

"Zack!" He looked at me, smiling. My heart stuttered. "Thank you. For saving me."

"No problem," he said. "Shinra's been doing some weird stuff lately. Picking on kids is not okay." He turned, waving as he left.

"Aerith," I said, turning to face her.

"Hm?"

"Can I stay with you for a while?"

She smiled. "Sure!"

…

I reached a hand up to my face, wiping away a few tears. I'd forgotten where I was for a long moment. Everyone was gathered around a big table, food being passed from person to person. No one noticed my momentary silence or the tears in my eyes.

At least I'd thought as much. A pair of beautiful blue eyes was watching me. When I looked at Cloud, he tilted his head…a question. I shook mine in response, and then didn't look at him for the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a few weeks since I'd first met all of my uncle's friends, and I was finally starting to get used to everyone. Each morning when I woke up, I would run through some exercises and stretches to get myself back in shape. Sometimes, Tifa or Cloud would join me if they were up that early.

After breakfast, the various members of what I learned was called Strife Delivery Service went off on their tasks for the day. Cid and Barret spent most of their time holed up in a room in the back of the bar, Tifa took calls for the delivery service, and Marlene tidied up the place. Denzel was usually gone most of the day, off wherever.

I felt a bit useless until one day when Tifa asked me to take a delivery. I'd been tinkering with some parts Cid had given me for the airship I felt like we'd never complete when Tifa came up to the bar where I'd been working. She looked a bit frazzled, something I'd never seen from her before.

"Hey, can you do me a really big favor?" she asked me, looking at the parts I was working on.

"What's up?"

"Yuffie was supposed to take this delivery with her before she left today, but she forgot, and she's too far away to come back and get it. I don't suppose…you could take it?"

"Um, sure? Where's it going to?"

"Thank you!" Tifa smiled hugely at me before running upstairs. She came down a minute later with a map and a small package.

…

After getting hopelessly lost, I finally managed to deliver the package and collect payment. Edge was a completely ridiculous place, half falling apart and half like an actual city. It made me think about Midgar and the way thing used to be. It wasn't a good feeling.

I hadn't gotten far on my way back to the bar when a revving sound caught my attention. Closer and closer it got until a black motorcycle rounded a corner carrying a certain spikey-haired blonde.

The motorcycle pulled up beside me, and Cloud passed me a pair of goggles. "Want a lift?"

"On that?" I pointed at his bike, goggles held limply in my hand. "I don't think so."

He smirked. "Afraid?"

"Yes. That would be a yes." I wasn't afraid to admit his stupid shiny motorcycle was scary. But it wasn't just that. Riding with Cloud….

"Think of it like a challenge." He patted the spot on the seat, just behind him.

I swallowed, thinking. If I just kept walking, he'd probably follow me. Or maybe he'd just leave. That would be so much easier, right? Right? Didn't I want him to go away? Then maybe this feeling in my stomach would go away. The pounding in my chest. The burning in my cheeks. If he just rode off into the sunset, it would all go away.

No.

I slid onto the bike behind Cloud, snapping the goggles in place. Leave it to him to not have a helmet or any kind of padding. Just goggles. And they were probably just so we looked cool or something.

"Hold tight," he said, and then the engine roared to life. It scared me so much that I threw my arms around him, burying my face into his back.

_Warm. He's so warm._

If the bike hadn't kicked into motion, I would have let go. I screamed as we zipped off down the street, faster than anything. The old butterflies in my stomach were replaced with nausea and terror.

"It's okay!" I barely heard him yell over the roar. "…safe…look…." That was all I could catch, but like hell was I gonna lift my head from his back. He put one hand on my arms around him, trying to loosen my grip.

"Don't!" I shrieked. "Just drive!" I felt him laughing as he put both hands back on the handles. After a moment, I took a deep breath and released my grip on him the tiniest bit. I opened one eye to see the black of his shirt. Then the other eye. In my peripheral I could see the landscape zipping by.

After taking a steeling breath, I lifted my head, looking straight at the back of Cloud's head. _Breathe. Breathe._ Cloud had said we'd be safe. He also drove this thing all the time. It would be okay.

I turned my head to one side just in time to see some children playing on the sidewalk. I slowly looked to the other side and saw a street vendor selling something that smelled delicious. I actually laughed. This was okay. Cloud was right.

"See?" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Yeah," I murmured, burying my face in his back again. This was okay. And I felt safe, especially since Cloud was at my side.

Damn Cloud. What were these butterflies whenever he came near me?

…

When we arrived back at 7th Heaven, Tifa was standing outside. She waved to us as we pulled in, but the smile on her face looked a little…off.

"Cloud, you picked up Raina?"

He nodded, and I slid off the motorcycle. "Never again," I said, shaking my head. Somewhere along the way, I'd lost feeling in my arms. And my legs. My head was feeling a bit light too.

"So, how'd your delivery go?" There was that fake smile still. What was going on? Had something happened?

"Just fine." I handed her the payment I'd received. "The guy was really glad he'd gotten it so fast. Despite my getting lost, I still made it there on time." I grinned, trying to coax a real smile out of her.

No dice.

"Well, Cid said we've expecting company, so I've been waiting…."

She trailed off as a car pulled up behind Cloud's bike. It was big and far too fancy for this part of the neighborhood. When the driver stepped out, I knew something was wrong. I'd never forget that spikey red hair. Out of the passenger side stepped a bald head I also knew uncomfortably well.

"Yo," Reno said, tossing a hand in the air. "Cid tell you we were coming?"

"Yes," Tifa said. "Is Rufus—"

Just then, the back door opened up and out stepped a bandaged version of the nightmarish man I once knew. The world started to blur, and I would have fallen if Cloud hadn't caught me. It was him. Rufus Shinra.


	8. Chapter 8

I couldn't believe my eyes. Here before me was a man I loathed almost as much as the doctor who ruined my life. Only, he wasn't quite the same. I watched as Reno and Rude helped him into a wheelchair and he wheeled himself over to where we stood.

When his one good eye fell on me, I shrank back, forgetting Cloud was still behind me. I bumped into him, and his hands caught my elbows. I could feel his gaze boring into me, but I was too afraid to take my eyes off of Shinra.

"A new member to your motley crew?" he asked, his voice as silky as ever. He frowned. You look familiar."

He didn't remember. I felt my hands clench into fists. He didn't….

"Your eyes." At those words, I turned and stormed into the bar.

"Cid!" I shouted as my eyes met my uncle's. "Why the hell didn't you warn me?" Barret was the only other person in the bar, but at my words, he stepped away, leaving me with Cid.

"About what?" Cid asked.

I narrowed my eyes and snarled, "Shinra."

"Dammit, I was hoping you wouldn't even be here. You were out delivering for Tifa."

"Well, I'm here, and I sure as heck don't want—"

"Raina!" I flinched at the sound of Reno calling my name. "Long time no see."

I turned on him, glaring. "Not long enough."

"Aw, don't be like that. We had good times."

I pulled my Bahamut materia out of my pocket. "Do me a favor, and shut up, or I'll show you my idea of a good time." Reno took a step back, and I noticed Rude at his side, looking wary.

"There is no need for that." Shinra's voice still makes me shudder. Despite his rough appearance, his voice relays the idea that he is still completely in control. "We need not dredge up old memories. Not when there are new topics to discuss."

"Did you find something this time?" Barret came stomping back into the bar, coming to a stop near my uncle.

"Information." Shinra shrugged. "Sources tell us that the newest project for renewable energy is going to be solar power. Harnessing the sun's rays."

"Now you wanna take the sun from us?" Barret snapped.

"Not take the sun." Shinra looked like he could barely stand being in the same room with Barret, let alone discuss business with him. "Just use the light it produces."

"So, what do you need from us?" Tifa asked. Always the level-headed one.

"We've arranged for a meeting with the leading researches of solar power, but unfortunately, I can't make it, myself. It's quite a trek to the only point they'd agree to meet at, and, as I am, I can't fight any monsters that might attack me on my way. I'd send some of my men, but…." He trailed off, gesturing to Reno and Rude.

"Hey!" Reno shouted, looking offended.

"So, you want us to meet with these people and see what they know?" Tifa asked.

"And try to get some kind of deal. I'll give whoever's going the details later, along with the location and whatever else I'll need from you." Shinra looked at the five of us gathered there. "So, who will go?"

Barret sighed. "I'd go, but I promised Marlene I'd take her out later this week. I ain't had enough time with her lately."

"I'll go," Cloud said, shrugging. "I don't have anything better to do."

"Raina, you should go," Reno said, smiling. "Maybe it'll get some of that temper out of you if you bash some monsters."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Since when do I answer to you?"

"Too chicken?" he asked. "Lost your fighting spirit?"

If I'd had my sword on me…. "Fine. I'll go."

"Like hell you will," Cid snapped.

"I haven't been on an adventure since I got the stigma," I replied. "It's about time I stretched my legs and my sword arm."

"You ain't going."

"You ain't in charge of me." I crossed my arms. "I'll be fine, I promise. Nothing will get the best of me. Besides, Cloud'll be around. He'll kill whatever I don't." I toss him a smile, and he gives one back that makes my stomach flip.

"That's fine," Shinra said. "We needed at least one girl anyway."

"Well, I'll go too," Tifa said. "If Barret's going to stick around and hold down the fort anyway, I don't see why I can't go out."

"It's decided." Shinra clapped his hands together. "I'll send Reno and Rude here first thing tomorrow to brief you on the rest of the details. For now, I think we'll take our leave." And with that, he turned his wheelchair around and rolled out, followed by his two lackeys.

Once he was gone, Cid shot off a stream of curses so foul I was glad Marlene and Denzel weren't here. "Hate his guts!" My uncle glared at Cloud. "If anything happens to Raina, I'm holding your sorry ass personally responsible. Do I make myself clear?"

Cloud nodded. "I'm sure she can take care of herself, but I'll look out for her."

"At least someone has confidence in me," I said, shaking my head. "I'm going stir crazy just sitting around. I need to get out and do something."

"It doesn't help that you always gotta prove yourself," Cid muttered.

"Well, maybe if more people believed in me…."

The front door flew open and Yuffie bounced inside, smiling. "What'd I miss?"


	9. Chapter 9

That night, when Tifa, Yuffie, and I had gone upstairs, Yuffie showed no signs of going to sleep. She flopped onto her bed, sighing hugely. "Whyyyyyyyy?" she moaned.

"Why what?" Tifa asked. She'd taken the bait so easily.

"Why are there no cute guys around anymore?" I almost laughed. After all the seriousness of today and seeing Shinra again for the first time in years, this? I couldn't tell if I was being punished or if this was a reprieve. Simple-minded girl talk. This would definitely be a first for me.

"That's not true," I said, for no other reason than wanting to be part of this. Maybe I could distract myself from what was going to happen tomorrow. A journey. A trip. I'd taken Reno's bait so easily earlier. I would have to pay him back for that one….

"Oh?" Yuffie said, sitting up on her bed. "Do you have your eyes on somebody?" she asked, way too curious.

"Noooooo, no way, not me." Too fast. That was too defensive and way too fast. Dang it.

"Who is it?" Yuffie asked. She was really into this now.

"Nobody," I said, turning away from her intense gaze.

"Don't tell me it's Cloud." My stomach flipped completely upside down, and I smacked a hand over my face, trying to hide the blush. "Ha! It is Cloud."

"Shut up," I muttered. I glared over at Yuffie for a moment before I realized Tifa was looking at me too. Her expression was closed off, and I wondered what that meant. I'd never seen that look on her face.

"Oh, my gosh! Raina has a crush on Cloud!"

"Shhh!" I hissed. "I have a thing for spikey hair and blue eyes, okay?"

"You're not the only one," Yuffie giggled. "Tifa too."

Oh. So that was it. I looked over at Tifa, but she was smiling, of all things. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Cloud and I have been friends for years now. He hasn't noticed my feelings for him yet, and I doubt he ever will. I've mostly given up."

I shook my head. "No way. It doesn't matter how the other person feels. You can't just give up that easily on love."

"It wasn't easy," Tifa said. "Every time I see him smile, I remember how it used to feel, back when I'd first fallen for him."

"His smile is so sweet," I mumbled.

"It really is," Tifa said.

"Ew, guys. This is _Cloud_ we're talking about." Yuffie laughed.

"Exactly," I replied, laughing too. "He's stupid handsome."

"He's such a pretty boy, though," Yuffie whined. "So not my type."

Tifa shook her head. "You prefer them tall, dark, and a lot older than you." I frowned. Did Yuffie have a crush on someone too?

Yuffie's face turned bright red. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Spill," I said, smiling. It was a lot more fun when all the attention wasn't on you. But...when had I decided that the feelings I had for Cloud were an actual crush anyway? As far as I knew, I found him attractive, intimidating, and far too perceptive for someone so quiet. But when we'd been riding his bike today…that had been fun. He'd seemed happy too….

"No way!" Yuffie chucked her pillow at me. It hit me in the face, and I just gawked at her for a moment before chucking it right back at her. Suddenly, we were both grinning like idiots.

Tifa joined in and we just tossed pillows at each other, laughing uncontrollably. It felt so good to just let loose every once in a while. I didn't want this moment, with these people, to ever end.

A knock at the door brought us to a halt. A sleepy-eyed Marlene opened the door to our room. "Can you guys keep it down? I'm trying to sleep."

Getting scolded by a child. That was new.

"Sorry," Tifa said. "We'll be good."

"Scout's Honor," Yuffie replied, snapping a salute. I did the same, and Marlene rolled her eyes.

"You guys are weird," she said, turning and closing the door behind her. Yuffie and I collapsed onto our beds, trying to desperately suppress our giggles.

"All right, bed time. For all of us. Something tells me tomorrow's going to be a long day for Raina and I."

"Don't remind me," I groaned. Without thinking, I palmed the materia in my pocket. A jolt of energy shot through me. It was almost comforting.

"Lights out." Tifa turned off the light overhead, and we all settled in. It was a lot easier to let sleep overtake me than I'd thought it would be. And thank goodness for that.

…

I hadn't expected anyone to join me at my training considering Tifa, Cloud, and I were supposed to head out to wherever Shinra wanted us today. It was because of this that I stifled a shout when Cloud appeared beside me after I'd finished a stretch.

He didn't say anything, just stretched his arms over his head. I felt my face turn bright red, remembering the conversation from last night. He really was stupidly handsome. No one should have that much power against women.

He looked over at me, and I immediately looked away, my face burning. What the heck was I thinking? A girl as gorgeous as Tifa had been in love with the guy for years and he hadn't been interested. Like hell did I have a chance.

I needed to focus on my exercises. I grabbed my sword from where I'd laid it on the ground. Weapons were always a good way to ground my senses. Wielding something dangerous required enough of my focus that I couldn't think of stupid things like crushes. Or how hopeless they were.

I practiced different sword stances, hefting my sword with one hand and then with two, going through the motions of the exercises I'd been taught when first learning how to fight. It took so much of my attention that I didn't even notice Cloud staring at me until I'd finished a sequence.

Letting my sword rest at my side, I just stared right back at Cloud. His blue eyes seemed to be searching for something in my own. I wondered if he'd find what he was looking for. After a long moment, he opened his mouth, but before he could get anything out, the back door to 7th Heaven opened.

"Reno and Rude are here," Tifa said.

"Yay," I monotoned. "The Jerk Squad."

Cloud chuckled, and I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. That damn smile of his.

I picked up my sword, tapping it against my leg a few times, thinking. What did Shinra have in store for us today? With a sigh, I slid past Tifa, into the bar, ready for anything.


	10. Chapter 10

"All right, so here's how it's gonna work." I raised my hand, and Reno sighed. "What?"

"Why is it, when you open your mouth, I just want to punch you in the face?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Can we be mature here?" I merely shrugged, and he continued. "So, Cloud and Raina are going to pose as a married couple, and Tifa will be Raina's sister."

"Waaaaaait, what?" I crossed my arms. "Why?"

"Because you need a cover story. You can't just tell them you're two girls and a guy traveling together. The people you're going to meet are really old-fashioned. We told them we'd send the Strifes, and so the Strifes have to go."

"But why me and Cloud? Why not him and Tifa?" I couldn't hide the embarrassment I was feeling. Why now, when I'd only just acknowledged that I had feelings for the guy?

"Because Reno used the word 'ship'," Rude stated.

"Shut up!" Reno snapped, looking cranky. "I did no such thing. I just think you two look more like a married couple, that's all. But, if you hate Cloud that much, I guess we can make Tifa the wife."

"I don't hate Cloud!" I rubbed a hand over my face in frustration. "Whatever, I'll do it. But this whole thing is stupid."

"What else, Reno?" Tifa's voice was short, and I realized that she probably wanted to play the role of Cloud's wife. Crap.

"You guys are gonna meet them at the Gold Saucer in three days, at 5 o'clock for dinner."

"I thought the Gold Saucer shut down," Tifa said.

"Yeah, but the owner opened up a new one in the same spot. It's called Gold Saucer 2."

"Original," I said.

"Yeah." Reno shrugged. "The guy who owns it isn't exactly a genius."

"D something." Tifa frowned. "Don? Doran?"

"Dio," Cloud said.

"Dio!" Tifa grinned. "I remember him."

"What's the Gold Saucer?" I asked.

Reno gave me a look that made me want to punch him all over again. Tifa turned to face me and said, "The Gold Saucer was kind of like an amusement park. It had games you could play, a theater that put on shows that the crowd could take part in, a battle arena, and even chocobo racing."

"Chocobos?" I turned from Tifa to Cloud, then back to Tifa. "Like, real live chocobos?"

"Yeah," Tifa replied.

I jumped to my feet, knocking over my chair. "When can we leave?"

…

Later was the answer to that question. Apparently, we were waiting on my uncle to get back to the bar with the provisions we might need for our trip. Which was just great. I'd have to wait that much longer to see the chocobos….

"I'm going out," I said to Tifa. "Text me when Cid gets here."

"All right," Tifa replied. She was talking to Marlene about looking after the bar while the three of us were away. That seemed like a big responsibility for such a small girl, but Marlene looked determined.

"I'll take you wherever you need to go," a voice said from beside me. I jumped, turning to find Cloud standing there.

"I-I can walk," I stuttered. Wow. I sounded like a moron.

"You'll get back here faster when Cid gets back if we take my bike."

Motorcycle…chocobos…motorcycle…chocobos…. I didn't even have a choice. "Let's go," I grunted.

I followed Cloud to where he'd parked his motorcycle and winced when he got on it He handed me a pair of goggles again. "Are you sure you don't have a helmet or something?"

"Trust me," was his only response.

"Right. Sure." I took the goggles, sliding behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulders, tucking my head against his back. Would I ever get used to this?

I was expecting the engine to roar to life any second now, but when it didn't, I looked up to find Cloud looking over his shoulder at me. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Oh. Right." Cloud looked like he was trying not to laugh at me, and I thought I would die of embarrassment. Great. Juuuuuust great. "Do you know that old church that's in what used to be Sector 5?"

Cloud frowned. "Yeah."

"That's where I wanna go."

Without another word, the motorcycle roared to life, and I cowered against Cloud's back, throwing my arms around his waist and holding tightly. We started to move, and I found that I couldn't wait until the ride was over. At the same time, I was nervous. I hadn't been back to that place since before she'd died….

Her place.

…

The church was so run down now that nobody took care of it. Most people had given up on things like faith and a God ever since the incident with Meteor and all the other things my uncle had gotten caught up in nearly three years ago now.

Despite this, there was one thing that could never change.

"The flowers!" I cried upon stepping through the doors. The church was an absolute mess, with a broken pillar lying across the center and leading up into the hole in the roof. The pews were tipped over or shoved against walls. However, in the center of all the chaos was a small patch of bright yellow flowers. It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen.

I ran forward, kneeling at the edge of the patch, running a finger along one of the flower petals. "They only grow here," I said, remembering her words.

"How did you know that?" I'd forgotten Cloud was even behind me. I couldn't bring myself to get to my feet, wanting to feel close to her. I took a deep breath.

"My best friend told me. She used to live here. Aerith." Saying her name after all these years brought tears to my eyes that I quickly blinked away. I'd forgotten…Cid had known her, and so Cloud would have too. They'd all traveled together. All saved the world together….

"I didn't know you were friends with Aerith," Cloud said, kneeling down beside me. He reached a hand out to the flowers, and I could see the sadness on his face as clear as crystal.

"She saved me," I replied, smiling at the memory. "All I did was lie to her…." I looked down at my hands. "I told her that I wouldn't let Shinra hurt her."

We were silent for a long moment before Cloud said, "None of us could help her. She knew what her fate was."

Tears streamed down my face, so I leaned into Cloud's shoulder and wept.


	11. Chapter 11

Cid dropped a bag of food on the bar. "Y'all think this is enough food?"

"It has to be," I said, walking up beside him.

"Look, you better be careful, okay? I ain't looking to save your ass if you get lost or hurt along the way."

"We'll keep her safe." Cloud put a hand on my shoulder that I immediately shrugged off.

"I'm not a little kid," I huffed. "Geez." I turned, and saw Tifa talking to Barret and Marlene. I'd given Marlene one of the flowers from the church, and she'd tucked it in her hair. She looked very sweet, and it made me happy.

"You're the youngest one in this room," Cloud said, shrugging.

"Bite me. When do we leave?"

"Now?" Tifa walked over, clapping her hands together. "Everything will be fine here while we're gone."

"Excellent!" I cheered, grinning. "I'm so ready for this." I turned to my uncle. "I promise I'll be fine, okay? You didn't raise a wimpy girl."

He crosses his arms. "Like hell I didn't."

I gave him a big hug before stepping back, laughing at the looks of surprise on Tifa and Cloud's faces. Cid just looks really embarrassed. I was sure this was a side of my uncle that these guys had never seen. It was kind of funny.

"Let's go!" I cried, grabbing the food and walking out of the bar.

"Can't we just rent a car or something?" Cloud asked Tifa as they came up beside me.

"If you've got the money, go for it. If not, we're walking." Tifa sighed, looking at the bag of food I'd slung over my back. "I hope you're ready for sleeping under the stars until we get to the Gold Saucer."

"Just two nights, right?" I replied. "No sweat."

"There and back, so four."

"Just like camping," I said, smiling. I looked over at Cloud whose attention was somewhere far far away. "Cloud?"

He turned to look at me. "Hm?"

"You still with us?"

He nods. "Let's mosey."

Oh, no. That was adorable.

…

Edge wasn't a pretty place. You'd think, with nearly three years separating us from the fall of Midgar, maybe some work would have been done to clean the town up. In truth, these people were lucky the town was here at all. The New Midgar Initiative, the people who'd taken the governing of the old Sectors that were once Midgar had put all of their time and effort into rebuilding what they could.

"One Sector at a time" was their slogan. I didn't know much about Midgar, but if someone was still referring to the old towns as "Sectors" they still had a long way to go. But it was the best anyone could manage right now. The Initiative kept Edge from sinking into anarchy and madness. It was a thankless job.

"Watch your step." I'd been tripping over rubble for a while now. It had gotten to the point where Cloud had offered to carry me. I'd told him to piss off, so now he just told me to watch it.

After we'd been walking for about a half hour, we were finally out of Edge. The wide world was open before us, looking green and endless. I sincerely hoped one of these two knew where they were going.

"We'll need to be in Junon by tomorrow afternoon," Tifa said.

"Junon?" I frowned.

"We have to take a boat to get across to the next continent," Cloud replied.

"A….Oh. Heh. Okay." I forced a smile.

"Raina…you don't have a problem with boats do you?" Tifa asked.

"No, of course not." I waved her away. "I just didn't realize we were traveling so far."

"The Gold Saucer is on the same continent as Rocket Town."

"Huh. Go figure." I hated boats. They scared the crap out of me. Something about floating over water messed with my head. What was I supposed to do? I had roughly a day to figure it out.

We set out, following Tifa who had actually thought to bring a map, thankfully. She and Cloud were reminiscing about the old days when they'd first left Midgar, most of the gang in tow.

"I wonder if Choco Billy's farm is still there," Tifa said.

"Choco Billy?"

"He taught us how to catch a chocobo so we could travel across the marsh."

"Chocobo?" I just had to think about chocobos. That would be how I could keep myself from worrying about reaching Junon. "Geez, I hope he's there then."

After a while, Tifa and Cloud stopped at the edge of this barren plot of land. The grass stopped growing here, nothing but dirt stretching out for a while. I could vaguely see a cave on the other side.

"I guess we won't need chocobos," Tifa said.

"Why?" I asked.

"This used to be that marsh."

"Wow." I crouched down, swiping a hand through the dirt. It was soft but distinctly dry. This hadn't been a marsh for a long time. "What could have happened?"

"A lot of things have changed ever since Meteor…." Cloud sighed. "At least this means we don't have to deal with the Zolom."

"And the Zolom is?"

"It was a giant snake that lived in the marsh. No matter how many times it was killed, it kept coming back."

"I remember when we saw it dead the first time." Tifa shuddered. "Sephiroth had been so powerful."

It was a vaguely familiar name that gave me chills. Sephiroth.

"We should keep moving." Cloud set out across the dirt. It was hard to keep up with his suddenly fast pace. I looked over at Tifa, but she only had eyes for Cloud. The sad look on her face made me curious. Was it the Sephiroth guy? Who was he to Cloud? Why couldn't I remember why I knew that name?

I stumbled. "What the…?" There was a giant trail of raised earth beneath my feet. Cloud and Tifa had just walked right over it, so fixated on the worlds inside of their minds. Too fixated. I felt tremors in the ground.

"Cloud, Tifa!" Suddenly, a giant monster shot out of the ground and came right at me. I rolled just in time, pulling my sword. "What the hell is it?" It had the body of a giant serpent except…it had legs and giant scythes for arms.

"It's the Zolom!" Tifa cried, dodging a blow from the creature's tail."

"I thought you said it was a snake?"

"Not anymore," Cloud shouted. He leaped at it, his blade connecting with one of the scythes. The Zolom shrieked in pain, and the scythe blade broke.

"Well done!" I cried, raising my sword to block the other scythe. I misjudged the force of the swing and had to duck and roll to avoid falling onto my backside. I'd dropped my sword before rolling. The Zolom swung again, and I barely managed to avoid it again.

The Zolom swung around, and I saw Tifa trying to distract it. Cloud ran to my side, tossing my sword to me. "Stay on your feet."

"It's been a while," I replied before charging in on the serpent. I slashed at its tail, and it turned again, its beady eyes fixed on me. "Let's do this," I muttered to myself. I backpedaled out of its range, convinced I was ready for this.

I'd never fought something this big…. It came at me, and I took another step back…only to fall over one of the bits of raised earth made by the Zolom. The monster swung at me, and without thinking, I grabbed my materia, raising it high. I felt the sickness from the mako flowing into my body as I began the summoning.

Before I could even fully activate the materia, the Zolom reared back, its head falling from its neck. The monster fell to one side, and I stared at it, wide-eyed.

Just then, Cloud came up to me, snatching the materia from my hand. I looked up at him, still in shock. His expression stifled any kind of gratitude I could have tried to express. He looked so beyond pissed.

"Don't you ever summon this thing around me, do you hear me?"

"Wh-what? Why?"

"You're killing yourself. If you keep summoning, the mako will kill you." He shook his head, dropping the materia into his pants pocket.

My heart started beating fast. "C-cloud. You can't. I…I need that," I whispered, barely managing to get the words out.

"You don't. It's only hurting you."

"That's not…for you to decide." I could feel the panic rising in my chest. "Cloud, I need it." It was getting hard to breathe. I reached out a hand for it, and saw how badly my hand was shaking.

"Cloud, look at her." Tifa put an arm around my shoulders. "Raina, are you okay?"

"I need it," I whispered, tears falling from my eyes. "I can't…."

"Cloud!" Tifa pulled me close, and I shuddered. I closed my eyes, taking in jagged, rapid breaths.

Something fell into my hand, and I looked to see the materia in my hand. Relief flowed through me, and I clutched the glowing orb close to my chest. With a deep breath, I looked up at Cloud. He wouldn't look at me.

"Mako withdrawals," I muttered, looking down at my hands that were cupping the materia. "I've been laced with the stuff for so long that I can't live without it. I'd need to slowly wean myself off of the stuff. I haven't found a safe way to do it yet."

Cloud still wouldn't look at me, and I felt like I would start crying again for a whole new reason.

"Raina, promise us you won't use it." Tifa was looking directly at me, her expression dead serious. "Promise us you won't summon Bahamut, okay?"

Promise? A promise was something friends shared. Breaking a promise was acute betrayal. How could I make such a promise? What if doing so put Tifa in danger? Or Cloud?

"I told Cid I'd keep you safe," Cloud said. He still wouldn't look at me. "I intend on keeping my promise. You won't need to use that thing as long as I'm here." He turned his startlingly blue eyes on me, and I found myself desperately wanting to believe him.

"I promise," I whispered. I didn't know if it was a promise I could keep, but I would try. For my new friends.


	12. Chapter 12

Cloud didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. Which was fine by me because if he had said anything, it probably would have been mean again. I didn't understand why he thought my mako poisoning was any of his business. Or my addiction to my materia. Memories of the fear I felt when he took it from me send chills down my spine.

Not yet. I couldn't deal with the separation just yet.

After fighting various enemies that were easy enough to deal with, we settled down for the night in a forest on the other side of the old mythril mine. According to Tifa, it was half a days' walk to Junon from where we were, which would have been great if it weren't for the part about the boat waiting at the end.

Cloud left to go get fire wood, leaving Tifa and I at our makeshift campsite. I figured, with tall, blonde, and spikey gone, maybe I could ask Tifa what the heck had happened earlier.

How to start? "Hey, Tifa?" Brilliant. Grade A work there.

"What's up?" She had cleared a patch of ground for our fire and was looking for stones to ring around the dirt. I joined her.

"Why did Cloud freak out so badly today? I mean, one summon isn't going to kill me."

Tifa stopped working, and I was worried I'd upset her too. After a long moment, she said, "Cloud's had mako poisoning before."

"Oh." That would explain it. At least some of it.

"It was really bad. He was out of it for a long time, and in the end, he kind of…lost touch with who he was…. I had to help him find himself again."

"How did he get it?"

"He fell into the Lifestream," she said as though this was the most casual thing in the world.

"He what?"

"Fell into the Lifestream." Tifa and I both jumped at the sound of Cloud's voice. "a lot of things happened back then. Things I'm not proud of. I don't like to think of how weak I was back then."

"You were never weak." Tifa grabbed some more stones and completed the fire circle so Cloud could set his fire wood inside. She pulled a lighter out of her pocket and lit a twig on fire to start the blaze going. "You'd been through a lot. I never blamed you."

_I never blamed you. Not once._ Her voice, echoing inside my head.

Cloud turned to me. "I'd lost track of myself after I fell in the Lifestream. I would never wish that on someone else."

I nodded. "I'm sorry I asked."

"Everyone else knew," Cloud replied, shrugging.

"It's weird." Tifa smiled. "You fit in so well, it's easy to forget you weren't there with us three years ago."

"I had my own stuff to sort out back then, I said, rubbing one arm. "I would have only just…." I trailed off. I would have only just gotten out of the lab. I had to fight the urge to grab my materia, looking for comfort.

A hand took one of mine, and I looked up into Tifa's sweet brown eyes. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. Just remember, we're here to listen."

"Just don't forget," Cloud said, "dilly dally, shilly shally." He said this with such a straight face, and I felt thoroughly confused.

"Shut up!" Tifa said to Cloud, laughing. He laughed in return, and I realized he must have been teasing her about something. An inside joke.

It must have been nice to have close friends you could share jokes with. I think of Aerith and Zack, my first friends. They were the first people I'd ever shared jokes with, the first people I'd fought for…. I know now, I would have died if it would have kept them safe.

"Raina?"

"What?" I looked up to see Tifa and Cloud looking at me with concern. Pulling the food bag off my back, I said, "So, uh, who wants dinner?"

…

Ah, Junon. The smell of sea water and…ships? I didn't really know. What I did know was that I would do anything to distract myself from the thought of crossing that water. Maybe I could…not ride a boat?

"This place has changed so much," Tifa said. She looked around at the various buildings and people.

"Regular people can buy tickets to ride the ships here," Cloud said. "Not just big wigs."

"Not that there are really any of those anymore," I retorted.

"Shinra wasn't the only one." Cloud sighed. "Let's get tickets."

"Too bad Shinra couldn't pay for all of this," I muttered, looking around at all the people. Everyone wanting to go somewhere.

"He did." Cloud and I looked over at Tifa in surprise. "Didn't I tell you?" She pulled a pouch from a pocket on her skirt.

"You mean we could have rented a car?" Cloud groaned.

"No, it's not enough for that. It's for three round trip tickets and a hotel stay at the Gold Saucer." Oh, Tifa. Always the responsible one. I can see why she didn't tell us about the money sooner.

"Don't be a sissy, Cloud," I teased, smiling.

He sighed before shrugging in the most devil-may-care way ever. I had to look away because I found it stupidly attractive. Stupid blonde-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy.

"I'll go get the tickets," Tifa said. "You two should probably start practicing your married couple shtick."

"Do what?" I cried, but she was already heading toward the ticket station. I looked over at Cloud who had apparently been looking at me until that exact moment. He quickly looked away, and I swore he was blushing. My own face turned bright red, and I cleared my throat.

"How would a married couple act?" I managed, my voice suddenly going really quiet.

"I'm not sure," Cloud replied.

"Maybe we should…h-hold…hands." Oh, lord, this was awful.

"We can try." Cloud held out his hand to me, and I almost audibly sighed in relief. He was wearing gloves. If my hand started sweating, at least he wouldn't be able to tell. I took his hand, and looked away fast, praying he couldn't see how red my face was.

"Got 'em!" Cloud and I instantly jumped apart, dropping each other's hand as Tifa came back. She raised an eyebrow. "If you two can't even hold hands in public, no one's going to believe you're married."

"Give us a break, Tifa!" I whined, rubbing my face with one hand. Just as I dropped my hand to one side, Cloud took it, and I squeaked. Honest to goodness, I let out this awful, tiny sound.

Tifa and Cloud looked at me with wide eyes before Tifa said, "That was cute."

"Go to hell!" I cried. I turned away, but Cloud didn't let go of my hand.


	13. Chapter 13

It was a moderately sized boat that bobbed merrily on the waves. It was a horrible monster waiting to gobble up anyone who came near. I could try and fool myself all I wanted, but it wasn't going to work. This was going to be hell.

We approached the boat, and I had to resist the urge to run and hide. Anywhere but on that boat. If Cloud's hand hadn't been holding tightly to mine, I probably would have run. As we walked up to the end of the dock, the man standing there extended his hand.

"Tickets to Costa Del Sol?"

"Right here." Tifa handed the man three tickets and he nodded us all on.

"Ship will leave in 5 minutes. Should take about three hours to get there. Just in time for dinner." He gave us a reassuring smile. I wished I could have felt reassured.

Tifa and Cloud stepped onto the boat easily, but I hesitated. Cloud looked back at me. "Raina?"

"Ah, coming." I forced myself to hop casually onto the boat, and almost completely lost it as soon as I felt the boat shifting in the water. My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees.

"Raina!" Tifa crouched down, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all." I got to my feet, trying to smile. "I'm just going to go, uh, find a bathroom."

"Raina!" But I ignored her. I needed to find a small space. Somewhere I could be alone. The ship had a cabin where I assumed a bathroom would be. I slipped inside, feeling my resolve break down. I found a door marked "Restroom" and went inside, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the wall, taking slow, deep breaths. It would be okay. I just needed to—

There was a whistling sound, and the boat started moving. I immediately sat on the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. I buried my face, trying to think about anything but the ground moving beneath my feet. Suddenly, the idea of being in a small space was terrifying.

I couldn't breathe. Tears were stinging my eyes, and a sob escaped me. I stifled the next one and just wept into my knees, wishing I were anywhere but here.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. I couldn't raise my voice to tell them to go away. I couldn't do anything other than cry and breathe. The door opened—I must have forgotten to lock it—and someone came in.

I heard the lock click and felt someone settle beside me, placing an arm around my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Cloud. I opened my mouth to say something when a fresh wave of panic overtook me, and I ducked my head again.

"You really are afraid of boats."

I nodded my head. "S-sorry."

"Don't be. Everyone has something like this."

All I could do was say, "Sorry," again.

He didn't say anything else, just held me while I cried.

When the boat came to a stop, a whistle blew, announcing we'd arrived. Cloud let me go, getting to his feet and helping me to mine. I rubbed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. "Get me off this thing," I whispered.

Cloud took my hand, leading the way back out of the cabin to where Tifa was waiting on the deck. She turned to look at us, shaking her head.

"Where were you guys?"

"Oh, I, uh—"

"Got seasick." I looked up at Cloud, but he was staring right at Tifa.

"Yeah, seasick." I shrugged. "Boats aren't my thing." Please, let's get off. Please.

"Don't feel bad," Tifa replied. "Cloud gets airsick. And car sick. Basically, anything other than seasick."

"Do you really?" I asked. He nodded, and I managed a smile. "I guess I could never take you aboard Cid's and my new airship."

"I'll pass," he said, smiling. "Anyway, let's get off this thing. It's not far from Costa Del Sol to the Gold Saucer. Maybe we can make it there tonight."

"We'll have to sleep outside somewhere," Tifa replied. "I only have money for one night. The cost of staying there is so expensive." She shook her head.

"That's fine. Let's go." I appreciated what Cloud was doing, trying to get me off this boat. I couldn't find the words, right then, to tell him as much, but I hoped he could tell.

Cloud led us off the boat, and I could have cried from relief upon touching solid ground again. I grinned up at Cloud. "Thank you."

He shrugged "It was nothing."

"Costa Del Sol hasn't changed," Tifa said, coming to stand beside me. "It's still as sunny and cheerful as last time."

I looked around, pleasantly surprised. Costa Del Sol was full of short buildings, most of which appeared to be selling beach merchandise from swimsuits to beach balls. Everyone was so tan and smiley, making our pale skinned, rough trio stand out.

"Now I kind of want to go swimming," Tifa said, wistful.

"We'll have to come back some other time," Cloud replied.

"On an airship." I crossed my arms. "I don't want to ride a boat ever again."

"We still have to get back to Junon, you know."

"Crap." I smacked my forehead with the heel of my palm.

"Don't worry, we'll be here for you," Tifa said.

"I appreciate it." Not that it would help, but it was still a nice thought. I looked out at Costa Del Sol, wondering what lay beyond this warm, beach paradise. What did the Gold Saucer look like? From the sound of it, it was better than this place. And it had chocobos.

"Let's go!" I cried, dashing off, heading in the direction I hoped lead out of town. The thought of those wonderful yellow birds had restored my energy, and I was ready to travel as far as I had to in order to see one again.

Kweh!


	14. Chapter 14

I had been assured that the cable car was in peak condition, but I wasn't so sure. Tifa and Cloud got in like it was no big deal to be traveling hundreds of feet above the ground in a car held up by some big metal wires. Hahaha…. I got in after Cloud offered to carry me inside. That wasn't about to happen.

Tifa had sat across from Cloud, but when I went to sit next to her, she stretched her legs along the seat. I sighed. Was she really that upset that I was pretending to be Cloud's wife? I settled into the seat next to Cloud, looking down at the floor of the car. It was a dull silver color, like the walls and the ceiling. At least the seats were comfortable.

The car jerked into motion, and I unthinkingly grabbed Cloud's hand, looking for something to hold onto. I looked up at him, incredibly embarrassed. "Sorry," I muttered, pulling my hand away.

"It's fine," he said. "The ride isn't long."

I nodded, staring at the floor again.

"Check that out," Tifa said. I raised my head to see Tifa looking out the window. I swallowed before doing the same.

Getting closer by the second was a giant golden…something. It looked like a massive palace with giant…saucers…on the top of each of the towers. It was surrounded by a sandy pit which I assumed was why we were traveling there by cable car.

"Wow," I whispered.

"They've really done a lot to the place," Cloud said, looking over my shoulder to see out the window. He was so close that I didn't dare move. I could feel the heat from his body, and I swallowed. What if he heard my heart pounding? Or even that giant gulp I just did? Crap!

"I wonder how they did it. It's not like they're under new management if Dio's still in charge." Tifa shook her head. "It looks great though."

"It really does," I said, smiling. A great view totally eased my fears. It reminded me of the first time Cid took me up in an airship. I'd been scared out of my head to be so high up, but he took me out over the ocean and we watched the sun seemingly set into the water, and my fate had been sealed. I knew I wanted to be as close to airships as I could for the rest of my life.

The ride didn't last much longer, and when it was over, I was actually a bit sad. That didn't last long, though. Once we stepped out of the car, it was like stepping into a different world.

Everything was golden and shiny. Thankfully, the lights overhead weren't too bright so it wasn't blinding. Music was being pumped in from speakers, and the tune was light and jaunty. I kind of wanted to start humming. There was a billboard off to one side that had giant, colorful posters that showed off various parts of the place, and the actual entrance was two golden chocobos holding up a wing each to make an archway. I was completely overwhelmed, and we weren't even inside.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer 2, kupo!" I jumped at the voice, looking to see who had spoken. I didn't see anyone.

"Down here, kupo!" I looked down just as something white with purple wings fluttered up to eye level. "Welcome! Is this your first time, kupo?"

"Um…."

"We came here when it was just the Gold Saucer," Tifa said, taking charge of the situation.

"Ah, well, I hope you'll appreciate all the changes we've made, kupo."

"What's a kupo?" I asked, my eyes traveling up to the pom-pom on top of the creature's head.

"I'm a moogle, kupo," the white creature said. "And moogles say kupo!"

I nodded. "Right." I smiled. "Nice to meet you, moogle."

"Call me Mogster, kupo," the moogle said, smiling. "Thanks to us teaming up with the old owner, we've improved all the facilities substantially, kupo. If you just give me 300 gil for the three of you, I'll let you in, kupo. You're welcome to watch the chocobo races for free, and everything else you need to pay for will be listed at each attraction site, kupo!"

"Here you go." Tifa gave Mogster some gil, and he slipped it into the pouch he was wearing.

"Thank you, kupo!" he cried, doing a somersault. "Enjoy the Gold Saucer 2, kupo!"

"Thanks." The three of us waved goodbye to the moogle before heading into the park? Resort? I was going to call it a park.

"All right," Tifa said. "It's still pretty early in the day, so we can explore until around 5. Then we have to head over to the restaurant they have to meet up with Shinra's contacts."

"So, where should we go?" Cloud asked.

"Chocobos!" I shouted. Tifa and Cloud looked at me, surprised. "Please? I really wanna see a chocobo."

"Sounds good to me," Cloud replied.

"All right. Let's see if we can navigate this place," Tifa said, looking around. Before us were several doors that had words scrolled above them. Event, Battle, Wonder, and Chocobo were just some of the words.

"Chocobo!" I cried, heading toward the door. I flung it open to find…a chute. A push from behind made me stumble into it, and I screamed as I slid down, down, down and then, something was pushing me up, up, up and out into open space. I landed on my feet to find a giant stadium in front of me that had two giant golden chocobo statues on either side.

Just then, someone crashed into me, knocking us both to the ground.

"Ouch," Cloud muttered. He rolled off of me, quickly getting to his feet. "Are you okay," he asked, extending his hand.

"Fine," I said. I reached for his hand, wincing as I got up. He was heavier than he looked, especially landing on me.

Tifa flew out of the chute a moment later, landing as gracefully as a cat. I was jealous, especially after Cloud's and my collision. "That was fun," she said, smiling impishly.

"You could have warned me," I replied.

"It was more fun that way," Cloud said, smiling. Damn that smile.

"Whatever." Nothing else mattered right now. I was so close to the chocobos that I could almost smell them. "Onward!" I ran toward the stadium, twirling around and around as I went. Chocobos, chocobos, I love chocobos.

I reached the entrance before Cloud and Tifa and found myself face to face with another moogle. This one was wearing a chocobo hat that I really wanted for myself. "Welcome to the Chocobo Races, kupo!" the moogle cheered.

"Yay!" I responded, feeling like Yuffie. "What's your name?" I asked, smiling.

The moogle looked surprised I'd even asked. "Mogrite, kupo," she replied.

"Nice to meet you, Mogrite." I shook her little furry paw just as my friends caught up.

"You too, kupo," Mogrite said, smiling. "Enjoy the races."

"Let's go!" I grabbed Cloud and Tifa's hands, yanking them inside only to be nearly knocked over by something giant, yellow, and covered in feathers. A chocobo.


	15. Chapter 15

The chocobo ran past me, and I watched in awe as the giant bird rampaged in the lobby of the race track. The other people in the room scampered to the edges, giving the chocobo a wide berth. As it came closer to me again, I grabbed on the reins resting around its neck, pulling hard. The bird cried out, stumbling down onto one knee.

I looked it in the eyes, stroking its neck. "Hey, there. It's okay. Calm down," I murmured, trying to soothe the animal. The fear in its eyes slowly receded, and it bowed its head to me. "That's a good chocobo. It's gonna be okay."

"What the hell are you doing?!" The chocobo's head shot up and it tried to break free of my grip at the sound of the voice behind me. I grabbed its reins more tightly, resting a hand on its beak.

"Get away from my chocobo!" A hand landed on my shoulder, and I turned to see a very angry-looking man, maybe in his thirties. He was wearing chocobo-riding leathers and the meanest expression I'd seen in a long time.

"I was just calming it down," I said. "The poor thing was scared out of its mind."

"Damn right it was. Stupid piece of shit bird can't win me a single race. Biggest waste of money I ever spent." The man sneered at me, and I had to resist the urge to take a swing at him.

"Well, if you treat it like this all the time, it's no wonder," I replied.

"What was that?" He took a step toward me, and I felt the chocobo struggle behind me.

"Nothing," I sighed.

"Damn right. Now give me my bird back, bitch."

I flinched. I really did. Who the hell did this man think he was? I didn't care if he owned the whole of the Gold Saucer. No one was going to talk to me like that. "How about you calm the hell down?" I snapped back at him.

"I'm warning you, girl. If you don't give back my bird, I will make you regret it." He took a menacing step toward me, and, unthinkingly, I drew my sword.

"Raina," Tifa hissed. She'd come to stand next to the chocobo, a hand on its flank. I knew what I was doing was stupid. I honestly didn't care. This guy was seriously pissing me off.

"Try me," I snarled at him. He had jumped back when I'd drawn my sword.

"I'll call security, dammit!" he shouted.

"And I'll tell them you can't keep control of your own animal," I replied evenly.

The man growled. "Fine. Do what you want. It's not like that shitty chocobo can win a race anyway."

"Wanna bet?" Whoa. Okay, where had that come from? I'd never ridden a chocobo in my life. There was no way in hell I could win a race with one.

"Sure," the man said, smirking. "Give it a shot. Ride the damn thing. You'll see. We can place bets at that counter over there," he said, pointing at where a young woman sat. She was wearing a chocobo hat and staring intently at us. She probably wanted to make sure we wouldn't cause any more trouble.

"Fine by me." I followed the chocobo's owner over to the counter, the bird still in tow.

"What are the odds on a new rider entering the next race?" the man asked, jabbing a finger over his shoulder at me.

"One to fifteen," she said, still eyeing us warily.

"Raina," Tifa hissed again, but I ignored her. I was too far gone now.

"All right, girl," the man said. "You heard your odds. Still wanna bet?"

I reached in my pocket, slapping down the 500 gil I had on me. "This on me to win," I stated.

The girl behind the counter looked at me like I'd lost it. Maybe I had, betting on myself like this. I didn't even care. My pride was way too strong to go back on this. "Five hundred on...?"

"Raina," I said.

"Five hundred on Raina to win," she said, turning to the man beside me.

He smirked. "I'll bet on Sniper." He sneered at me. "He's won every single race in his class for the past week."

"So, it'll be that much more fun when I beat him," I said, smiling.

He laughed. "I'll admit, you've got balls, girl, but let's stop this before you lose your pocket change." His face grew serious and he held out his hand to me. "Give me back my bird."

"After I win the race," I replied, turning, reins in hand, to look at Cloud and Tifa. Tifa looked frustrated, but Cloud looked amused. I wondered why he hadn't tried to stop me like Tifa had. It didn't matter. I had to win this. All the gil in the world was worth knocking that cocky grin off that man's face.

"I've signed you up for the next race," the girl behind the counter said. "It'll start in about an hour. The riders are given permission to run the course a few times as practice before the actual race begins."

Thank goodness.

"Mogana will show you the way." At her words, another moogle popped up from behind the counter. She looked a bit shaken, but she managed a smile.

"This way please," she said, floating over the counter and leading me to a door off to one side of the space. So many pairs of eyes followed as I made my way through the door and out onto the track.

"We'll let you know ten minutes before the race," Mogana said. "Until then, feel free to practice the course."

"Thank you, Mogana," I said, smiling. When she flew back inside, I leaned against the chocobo, my knees shaking.

"Raina, what the heck?" Tifa cried, her voice a loud whisper.

"I know!" I replied, frantic. "I just couldn't let someone like that win. He was going to hurt the chocobo! Did you see the look in its eyes? The way it was rampaging?"

"But to race? And you even bet on yourself!"

"I know!" I repeated. I took slow, even breaths, trying to calm myself. The chocobo nipped at my hair, and I jumped, surprised. Looking into its deep brown eyes, I felt my pulse slowing.

"You're gonna help me, aren't you?" I whispered.

The chocobo gave an enthusiastic _kweh!_ and I smiled. "We can do this."

"Go for it," Cloud said.

I turned to look at him, and he was smiling. "It's too late to go back now, so you might as well give it your all." He turned and started to walk back inside.

"Where are _you_ going?" Tifa shouted.

"To bet on Raina," he said without looking back.


	16. Chapter 16

I would be singing the jaunty tune being played over the loud speakers for the rest of my life. If nothing else, it made it really hard to be really nervous. I'd ridden the chocobo around the track so many times, testing its speed and endurance, Whatever that awful man from earlier had said was a lie. This bird was fast.

Tifa and Cloud had disappeared a little while ago, and I wondered if Cloud had actually bet on me…. Remembering the look on his face made me smile, and I had to bury my head in the chocobo's soft plumage to wipe the grin away.

"Will all riders please make their way to the starting gates?" a voice announced, briefly interrupting that hypnotic music. I followed the other jockeys and their birds to another moogle who waited at the beginning of the track. This moogle was wearing a black and white striped vest and had a checked flag in one hand.

"In order to begin the race, I'll hand out your numbers, kupo." The moogle said. It began calling out our names, and each person went and got their number. "Fifteen, Raina Strife, kupo."

Wait. Strife? _Strife?!_ The moogle looked at me, the only one still standing near him. "Are you Raina Strife, kupo?"

"Uh, yes," I said, taking my number from the moogle. I was supposed to be pretending to be Cloud's wife, so I guess it would make sense to use his name. But still, that made my heart pound. Raina Strife. I pinched myself to shake the thought from my head. Now was not the time for silly, love-struck daydreams. Raina…Strife.

The chocobo nibbled at my hair, bringing me back to the track once more. "Okay!" I whispered, grinning. "Let's do this!" I took the bird over to my starting gate and hopped on its back. There was complete trust between the chocobo and me. I could just feel it. Maybe…maybe we could really do this.

"On your marks." Some of the other chocobos scratched at the ground. "Get set." I heard a _kweh_ from somewhere down the line. "Go!" The gates flew open and we were off!

The track was a giant oval, and we just had to do three laps. I hadn't thought it would be hard, but with all the riders jockeying for position it was a struggle just to stay on my bird. After the first lap, we were solidly in seventh place, with the next six places bunched up not far in front of us.

Some of the other chocobos were looking tired. I watched as two of them stumbled, barely managing to stay upright but slowing considerably. And then I was in fifth. After lap two, everyone in front of me started flagging. We moved up to third place easily, keeping pace with the first two positions.

As we rounded the final side, I squeezed the chocobo's flanks with my knees. "Let's go!" With a sudden burst of speed, my bird flew into first place and crossed the finish line.

The chocobo stopped on the other side, leaping in excitement and _kweh_ing. I felt like doing that myself. We won! I couldn't believe we won. I loved chocobos. So very much. Burying my face in my bird's neck feathers, I took a deep breath.

"Well done," I whispered, and the chocobo turned its head around and nipped at my hair. I grinned, stroking its beak. "You did well."

…

I got gil as a prize for winning plus what I made from betting on myself. I now had a pretty decent amount of money to spend on whatever I wanted…. But there was only one thing on my mind.

"Let me buy your chocobo."

"Hell no."

I groaned. "Look, you clearly don't want it, so let me have it."

"Now that I know this bird can actually win a race, I'm gonna make it work its lazy feathers off." The owner of the chocobo leered at me. "You're lucky I let you race and didn't turn you in to the authorities. Now get out of my face."

"But—"

A hand fell on my shoulder, stopping me short. "Come on, Raina." It was Cloud.

I glared back at the man and the chocobo, the latter of which was staring at me with its big brown eyes. I looked up at Cloud, sighing. "Fine." With one last glance over my shoulder, I silently said goodbye to the chocobo, my heart breaking a little.

Cloud led me to where Tifa was waiting, a stern look on her face. "You are so irresponsible! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry," I said, looking down at my feet.

"What would you have done if you'd lost?"

"Been broke," I muttered. "And maybe a little less lonely." I looked back at where the chocobo had been, but it was gone now.

Tifa sighed. "Fine. As long as you've learned something from this. Don't be so reckless." She shook her head before turning away. "We've got to head to the hotel to check in and then head straight to dinner. Your race took up most of our time."

"I said I'm sorry!" I snapped at Tifa, stomping past her and out the door. Nag nag nag. I won the race and nobody got hurt. She didn't have to keep on me. I almost wished I was back at home, working on my airship by myself. No one would be yelling at me there. Not even Cid, since he was at the bar.

"Miss, are you all right, kupo?" It was Mogrite, the moogle with the chocobo hat.

"I'm fine," I said. "Can you tell me which way the hotel is?"

The moogle nodded. "If you go straight back the way you came and then take the first door on your right, it'll take you to the hotel's front doors, kupo. You should meet a moogle named Mogsworth just outside, kupo."

"Thank you, Mogrite." I turned and stalked off, stepping into the door that said "Station". With a _whoosh_ I was sucked back up the chute, not enjoying it nearly as much as the first time. Everything sucked when you were angry.

I took the first door on my right, sliding down another chute and landing much more gracefully than earlier. I was in such a bad mood that I didn't even notice the moogle floating beside me until it cleared its throat.

"Welcome, my lady, to the Gold Saucer 2 Hotel, kupo." The moogle who spoke was wearing a tuxedo jacket with a black bow tie. He had a top hat on his head, his little pom-pom sticking out from the top.

"Are you Mogsworth?" I asked him.

"Yes, my lady, kupo. Would you like me to escort you inside the hotel, kupo?"

"Just point me in the right direction," I said.

"As you wish, kupo." Mogsworth gestured to a pair of massive brown doors that you would have had to be blind to miss. Or just really cranky.

I sighed. "Thank you."

"Of course, my lady, kupo. Enjoy your stay, kupo."

I pushed open the doors of the hotel and my jaw dropped. This place was huge. The floor was made of white marble, veined with black, and there was a chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The stairways leading up were dark and wooden as was the front desk where another moogle was currently checking in a couple.

When the couple moved on, I stepped up to the desk.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer 2 Hotel, kupo," the moogle said. "My name is Mogki, kupo. How may I help you, kupo?"

"I need a room."

"Do you have a reservation, kupo?" Mogki asked, looking down at a black book at her desk.

"I might. It'll probably be under Strife." If there was no reservation, I'd just get a room for the three of us.

"Are you Raina, kupo?" Mogki asked.

"That's me."

"Your room is number 207 on the second floor, kupo. It'll be 2,000 gil for the night, kupo." I hand over the gil, and she hands me a key.

"My husband and my friend will be coming behind me. Do you have more keys?" The word "husband" is so awkward in my mouth, and I feel my face burning red.

"Of course, madam, kupo."

"All right. Thank you."

"Do you wish to be escorted to your room, Mrs. Strife, kupo?"

Who the hell is Mrs. Strife? "No, I'll be all right." With a wave at Mogki, I take the key and head up the stairs, following the signs on the peach-colored walls until I reach room 207. I open the door, stepping inside and shutting it behind me.

Two giant beds greet me, and that's all I see. Suddenly, I'm so tired. I face-plant onto the nearest bed and fall fast asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

I felt myself being shaken, and I rolled over. "Go away."

"Wake up, Mrs. Strife."

"Who's that?" I mutter, blinking sleepily.

"Raina, we have to go."

Sitting up, I see Cloud and Tifa staring at me. Cloud offers me is hand. "Are you ready to act, Mrs. Strife?"

"Ha." I ignore his hand, getting to my feet.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," Tifa said, putting her hands on her hips.

Did she really want to start with me again? I narrowed my eyes at her before throwing an arm around Cloud's waist. "Okay, Cloud, my dear," I said, smiling sweetly at him.

His expression was impossible to read, and so I quickly pulled my arm away, my face red. "Just hold his hand or something," Tifa sighed.

Cloud slid his hand into mine, but I still couldn't look at him. This wasn't the best way to wake up. I wondered how long I'd been sleeping. Not long enough because both Tifa and I were still in bad moods. I sighed. Having friends was turning out to be a massive pain in the ass.

"All right. The people we're supposed to be meeting should be waiting for us by now. Let's go." Tifa led us from the room and down into the lobby. I had to resist the urge to yank my hand from Cloud's with every step. I was just really glad he was still wearing gloves because my hand was probably sweating with all my nerves.

We stepped through the doors to the restaurant attached to the hotel. It was called—wait for it—Gold Saucer 2 Restaurant. This place really needed new ideas. I was actually impressed at the number of human staff members. I was beginning to think this place was run by moogles.

"We've got reservations," Tifa said to the server who approached us. "I'm not sure if the rest of our party is here yet or not, though."

"Last name?" the waiter asked.

"Probably Strife," Tifa replied, looking back at Cloud and me.

"Strife." He looked down at the list in his hand before saying, "Ah, yes. Right this way." He led us through the maze of tables, past fancy food and fancily dressed people. I was starting to feel self-conscious. Dressed in a tank top and shorts, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Then again…Cloud still had his sword strapped to his back.

The waiter stopped at a table where two older gentlemen were waiting. They both got to their feet as we approached. "The Strifes?" one of them asked.

I nodded. "Hello."

"You must be Mrs. Strife." The first gentleman extended a hand to Tifa, and I felt my stomach drop to my feet.

"Oh, no, I'm not Mrs. Strife." Tifa raised her hands in a surrender-gesture.

"I am," I said, blushing. "Um, Raina Strife."

"My apologies, Mrs. Strife," the man said, shaking my hand. "You just look a bit young, that's all."

"It's all right," I said, forcing a smile. "I'm sure my sister-in-law would agree with you, but things just sort of happened." An understatement. Man, this was so awkward.

"Well, I'm Grenan," the man said, smiling. "This is my friend Roll." He gestured to the other man who smiled as well.

"I'm Tifa," Tifa said. "And this is my brother, Cloud." Cloud nodded his head in acknowledgment. I had to take a steadying breath to try and calm myself. I felt Cloud squeeze my hand, and I squeezed back, looking for any kind of comfort.

I hoped the rest of this went better than the start.

"Please, sit," Roll said, gesturing at the seats around the table. Cloud took a seat next to Grenan, and I made sure to sit next to him. That was what a married couple would do, right? Tifa took the seat next to me, all smiles. With any luck, she would do all the talking, and I could just focus on pretending to be married to the guy next to me….

"We've taken the liberty of ordering drinks for everyone," Grenan said.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting long," Tifa replied. She shot a look my way, but I paid her no mind. What would a married couple be doing now? Should I lean closer to him? I had no idea. I was still holding his hand. Maybe that was enough.

"Not at all," Roll said, smiling. "And here are the drinks!" The waiter who led us here came forward, setting fruity-looking drinks before us. "Cheers!" Roll said, taking a drink from his glass.

I lifted mine, giving it a wary sniff. That was definitely alcohol. Should I take a drink? Would it be rude of me to refuse? I glanced at Cloud who was taking a sip. He must have noticed me because he took my drink from me.

"Unfortunately, my wife is still underage," Cloud said. "I'll order you water when the waiter comes back," Cloud told me, and I shot him a grateful smile.

"Thank you, dear," I said.

"Well, I'll be," Roll said. "She's even younger than I'd thought."

"Just how old are you, Mrs. Strife?" Grenan asked.

Thinking quickly, I replied, "A lady never reveals her age." I smiled, and they laughed. Thank goodness. I didn't know how old they thought I was, but I would rather they guessed and assumed I was just old enough to be married.

"Ha ha!" Grenan said, smiling. "Well said."

"Do you know what you want to order?" Cloud asked me, leaning closer.

I jumped, smacking my hand on the table. "Ow!" He had gotten so close that I could feel his breath, and I'd panicked. I hold my hurt hand, looking down at my menu.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Strife?" Grenan asked.

"I'm fine. Cloud, just order for me, I'll be right back." I got to my feet and left, heading for what I hoped was the bathroom. After asking several of the wait staff, I finally made my way there. Going inside, I made my way to the overly fancy sink and turned on the cold water, splashing my face.

What was wrong with me today? All of my emotions kept getting tossed around. _Calm down, Raina._ Seriously. What would my uncle say if he saw me acting this way? I smiled at the thought, giggling. Uncle Cid would have called me all sorts of names and told me to buck up or shut up.

Taking a deep breath, I went back out into the restaurant and right back to my table. I sat down, smiling. "Sorry, I just had a sudden dizzy spell. All the excitement from the trip got to me."

"I ordered you caviar and quail eggs," Cloud said.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, turning to him.

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Guys, he's kidding right?" I turned to Tifa for help, but she looked away, grinning. Grenan and Roll just laughed, so I put my head down on the table, sighing. I refused to be anyone else's personal amusement for the night. This was just stupid. I reached for the materia in my pocket, feeling the rush of mako energy. It was both heartening and sickening.

Conversation was free and easy over my head, and when dinner arrived—thankfully not fish and bird eggs—we all ate in silence, enjoying our food. When it was finished and the waiter took our plates away, Roll clapped his hands. "Down to business."

"Right," Tifa said. "We weren't given an awful lot of information before we set out."

"Sorry about that," Roll replied. "Considering Shinra's reputation, we weren't sure if we should really trust them with our discovery. But…after meeting you all, I think it's worth the risk."

"Besides," Grenan added, "we don't really have the money to fund our ideas." He shrugged, looking slightly chagrined.

"Anyway," Roll said, shaking his head. "My friend and I have discovered a way to harness the power of the sun and turn it into energy."

"You're kidding," I said.

"Not at all. I've even brought a sample of what we've done." Roll reached into a bag that was sitting at the floor by his feet that I hadn't even noticed until just now. He pulled out a toy car with a shiny black shard resting on the top.

"This shard stores sun energy. Watch." Grenan took the shard and inserted it in a slot in the top of the car. It started puttering across the table.

"Wow," I said, impressed.

"Grenan and I wish to study the stone more and see what else we can use it to power. The only problem is…." He looked to Grenan, frowning.

"There's a giant monster guarding the entrance to the cave where we first found this shard." Grenan sighed. "We barely made it out of there with our lives."

"So, you need us to take on the monster for you," Cloud stated, flatly.

"Ah…well, yes."

"Go figure," I muttered, throwing my arms over my head in a thorough stretch.

"We apologize," Roll said. "We know we have no right to ask you to put your lives in such danger—"

"It's fine," Tifa interrupted, smiling. "We may not look it, but we're pretty tough."

"Judging by Mr. Strife's sword, I'd say as much," Grenan said, eyeing the hilt of Cloud's massive sword.

"Try using that thing," I said, shaking my head. "Anyway, just point us to the monster and we'll do the fighting."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thank you to anyone who has stuck with me for this long. I know it's been slow going, but things have been pretty crazy lately. As thanks for those of you who are still reading and still looking for more, here's an extra-long chapter for you!

-musicnutftw

* * *

><p>I kept looking over the map, thinking. Grenan and Roll had offered us a car to take us to the cave where they'd found the crystal they needed. After being assured it was no trouble and no cost, we'd agreed. I hardly slept last night, sharing the bed by the window with Tifa. It was just too weird having Cloud in the same room.<p>

The morning dawned far too soon, and I got up before anyone else. Sitting out on the balcony, I sighed. I wished those guys had told us what kind of monster to expect. It was likely easy for Cloud to say he was ready to fight. Tifa too. They'd fought all sorts of monsters so many times….

_Don't doubt yourself, idiot._ It was like having Cid inside my head. After a few more minutes, I yawned, stretching, before heading back into the room. Cloud and Tifa were up and ready to go.

"Let me have the map," Cloud said, holding out his hand. I passed it over to him and he tucked it into a pocket. Tifa looked at him meaningfully, and I frowned. "Let's go." Cloud opened the door and Tifa walked out, casting one more look over her shoulder at him.

I started heading toward the door when Cloud turned to face me. "You're staying here."

"What?"

"You heard me." He crossed his arms. "We don't need you."

My heart fell into my stomach. "You're kidding, right? I can fight!"

"No, you can't. Remember what happened with the Zolom?"

It takes me a moment to find my words. "But no one got hurt! It was fine!"

"This monster might be a lot worse than the Zolom. I won't have time to babysit you. Just stay here."

_Babysit me_. Ah. So that was what Cloud thought of me. Just a nuisance. Someone he had to look after to make sure I wasn't getting into something or making a mess.

"Ha, Okay. Sure…." I rubbed a hand over my eyes, staring down at the ground, not really seeing anything. After a long moment, I heard the door shut. It was another long moment before I pulled my sword out of its sheath, looking at it. This thing had seen its fair share of battles, each one making me stronger and stronger.

Like hell was I going to sit here while Cloud and Tifa took on some monster. I would show Cloud that I wasn't just some kid he had to clean up after. He'd see. I'd make him see.

…

If I hadn't spent hours looking at that map, I might not have known where this cave was. As it was, I had to rent a car, which cost a fair amount of my prize money, in order to catch up to Cloud and Tifa. When I arrived at the cave, I almost wondered if this was really the right place. Aside from the other rental car outside, there was nothing to tell me the others were here.

Just then, Cloud and Tifa ran out of the cave, looking back over their shoulders as a hideous monster chased them out of the cave. It was massive and purple, with black horns protruding from its head. I leaped out of the rental car, yelling, "You can leave me here!" I would just catch a ride back with the others.

I ran forward, hiding behind a boulder outside the entrance to the cave, waiting for the perfect moment. The behemoth reared up, slashing at Cloud with its claws. He rolled, barely dodging, only to be faced with another swipe. I jumped out, drawing my sword and fending off the swipe.

"Raina!" Backpedaling, I turned my head to look at Cloud. There was a mixture of fury and fear on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Fighting!" I charged at the monster, swiping at its side and leaving a gash. The tail whipped at me, but I managed to dodge out of the way in time Just then, Tifa came up beside me

"Why couldn't you just stay at the hotel?" she snapped.

"I can fight. I don't need to be babysat."

"Do you really think that's why he told you to stay behind?" she yelled.

"That's what he told me!"

"How stupid can you get? He wanted you to stay to protect you!" With that, Tifa dove in, landing a series of punches and kicks that ended with a backflip off the monster.

_Protect me?_ What did that even mean?

A cry of pain got me out of my head, and I looked up to see Tifa scrambling away from the monster. Cloud dove in to distract it from her, swinging his obnoxiously large sword like it was nothing. I got back into the fray, doing my best to hurt the creature.

After a long time, it occurred to me that we didn't seem to be doing any damage to it. The behemoth was still raging at full strength while the three of us were beginning to tire. What would we do if we couldn't defeat it?

Tifa was the first to misstep. She stumbled, and the behemoth sent her flying with one swipe of its paw. When she landed with an awful _thump_ she didn't get back up. "Tifa!" I shouted, making to run toward her.

"Raina, look out!" Cloud dove in front of me, blocking a blow from the monster's tail. I gasped, falling backward. Tifa…. We couldn't do this. We weren't going to be able to beat the monster. It was all over; we were just too out of practice in fighting.

Cloud pushed the creature back, swinging at it and taking a chunk out of its shoulder. It howled in pain, and stumbled backward. "Go!" Cloud yelled at me, gesturing that I run.

I got to my feet, dashing over to Tifa. I checked her pulse and let out a relieved sigh. She was still alive. Looking up, I saw Cloud going blow for blow with the monster, but I knew even he couldn't last forever. We were in trouble, and there was nothing we could do.

_To protect you_…. And suddenly, I knew what I could do. I would protect everyone, no matter what it cost me.

I pulled my materia out of my pocket, smiling at it like an old friend. "Let's go, Bahamut," I whispered, and mako energy rushed through me. My head starting spinning, and my vision blurred. A blast of bright blue light blinded me for a moment, and I felt my knees grow week. When the light faded, a dragon stood before me, only it looked different than usual.

"Ah," I murmured. "NeoBahamut. Crap." And then nothing.

…

When I opened my eyes, I had to swallow a mouthful of bile. Coughing, I pushed myself into a sitting position. It was dark, and I was in my bed at the hotel. What had even happened? That was when I remembered NeoBahamut. I shuddered, dizziness flooding my senses. I hadn't summoned that version of Bahamut since….

Faces flashed before my eyes, and I ducked my head down, rubbing my face with one hand. A creaking sound made me jump. I looked up to see Cloud sitting in a chair beside my bed, fast asleep. My heart jumped into my throat, and I had to close my eyes to keep the world from spinning.

How long had I been out? How long had Cloud been beside me? What had happened with the monster? Where was Tifa?

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the covers off of me, easing myself to standing. I almost threw up and had to grip the back of Cloud's chair to stay upright. My hand brushed his shoulder, and I felt a surge of warmth. _Cloud_.

Resisting the urge to run a hand through his spikey spikey hair, I stumbled to the door, opening it as quietly as I could. My limbs felt like jelly, and I wasn't sure how far I could go. Apparently, I didn't need to go anywhere because Tifa was sitting on the ground outside of the room.

"Raina!" she said, getting to her feet. She had a bruise blooming on her face and a few more on her arms, but other than that, she looked pretty good.

"I'm glad you're okay," I whispered, my voice sounding a bit froggy to me.

She shook her head. "That's my line. What were you thinking?"

"Game over?" I sighed. "What happened to the monster?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I woke up in the car on the way back here, but after Cloud told me what had happened to you, he didn't say anything else. He hasn't left your side since."

I knew my face flushed red at that. He had every right to be mad at me. Tifa too. But what would have happened if I hadn't come, if I hadn't used my materia?

"I'm going for a walk," I muttered, taking a slow, deep breath. I needed some air, despite the fact that I likely wouldn't get far in my state.

"Are you sure you can?" Tifa asked.

"Not really. I'll be back later, okay?" She didn't say anything in response, and I wondered just how mad at me she really was.

The stairs almost killed me, but I made it down them and out the front door, not passing anyone. How late was it?

Walking was a lot harder than I'd thought it would be, but the outside air really helped clear my head. Being inside had reminded me of things I didn't need to think about right now. After stumbling around for a while, I settled myself on a bench and looked up at the starry sky. Gold Saucer 2 was pretty high up, and so there wasn't much to obstruct my view of the night. Surprisingly, even a place like this slept.

"Hey, girl!"

Two guys were walking my way, a weird lurch to their steps. Drunk, probably. As they got closer, I could smell the alcohol on them. Great. I stand, struggling to stay upright. Of all the times to get cornered like this…. I don't have a weapon either.

"She's kind of cute," one of them says to the other. He's taller and his words slur together so they're hardly discernible.

"What'cha doing out so late, huh?" the second one asks. At least I can understand him without trouble.

"Walking," I said, trying to be calm. What could I do in this situation? My stomach churns, and I know my muscles are in poor shape, partly because of that fight earlier and partly because, duh, mako poisoning.

"Wanna walk with us?" the first one asked

"No, thanks," I replied. "I was just about to head back." I wasn't about to tell them where "back" was. If this went ugly, I wouldn't want them coming to find me later.

And something told me this was about to get really ugly.

"Well, we can _escort_ you," the second one leers, taking a step toward me.

"I'm good," I said, sidestepping so the bench wasn't behind me. I didn't know if I could run, but that was probably gonna be easier than trying to fight.

"Come on, girlie." I didn't have time to react before the taller man grabbed me, pinning an arm behind my back. At least it didn't hurt. The mako had mostly numbed my limbs. Small blessings, right?

"Let me go," I said. I couldn't panic. The moment I panicked, I had no chance.

"Aw, we won't hurt you," the second man said, coming closer. He grinned at me, a sickening smile that made me want to hurt him. "We just wanna have some fun."

He reached a hand out to me, and I counted out the seconds. When he was close enough, I bit his hand, hard. He jumped back, crying out in pain. "You bitch!" His slap only just tickled. Seemed like I was regaining feeling. I guess that was a good thing.

"Fight me," I snarled.

He just laughed. "Just stay quiet, like a good girl." This time, he grabbed my face with one hand so I couldn't get at him. If I'd had full control of my body….

"Now—"

"Put her down, or I will kill you." He'd stepped out of the shadows, sword in hand, his face looking like murder.

"Who're you?" The man released my face, eyeing the sword in Cloud's hand.

"I said, _let her go_." The guy holding me loosened his grip on my arms, and I slipped away, launching a high kick right in his face. He stumbled back, holding his nose, and I fell to the ground. Yep, my feeling was definitely back, and that had been a stupid idea. It was so worth it.

The second guy took one more look at me before he and his friend ran off, back into the shadows from whence they'd come. I took a deep, steadying breath before looking at Cloud. His eyes were focused on where the men had disappeared. After a long moment, he sighed before looking down at me.

It was too bad the numbness hadn't lasted a little longer, because my heart was pounding like crazy. Before I even knew what was happening, Cloud crouched down on the ground and pulled me into his arms.

"Gaia, you're so stupid." It almost sounded like a compliment. With his arms around me, I found myself crying again.

"Dammit," I whispered. "That was…so scary." I was so good with words. Clearly.

Cloud released me and helped me to my feet. I didn't want to look him in the eyes, afraid he would yell at me some more. But he didn't. I looked up to find his gaze turning me to jello. Those beautiful blue eyes held me, and I melted. Before I could look away again, he kissed me.

It only lasted a moment, and when it was over, I wanted it back. He turned away from me. "Let's go back to the hotel."

"Uh, yeah," I said, and he set off with me struggling to keep up. Sure, I had better control of myself now, but Cloud was practically running with those massive strides of his. Not to mention….

_He kissed me_. What. Seriously, what had just happened? And why weren't we talking about it? That seemed like something that needed to be talked about. Beyond seriously.

We walked in silence until we reached the hotel. Cloud stopped outside the front doors, looking down at the ground. I stepped up beside him, and he looked at me. "Raina."

"Um, yeah." Broken record award goes to this girl.

"Will you go out with me?"

What? What?!

I opened my mouth to say something—I had no idea what—when Cloud held up a hand. "Wait. I don't want to hear it now. Just…tell me in the morning, okay?" With that, he stepped inside, holding the door open for me to follow.

I ran inside after him, my heart pounding. He walked away from me, up the stairs and presumably to our room. I waited for him to be out of sight before I followed. What had just happened? Cloud?

Slowly, slowly, as if afraid I was dreaming, I made my way up the stairs, terrified that one misstep would wake me. If this was a dream, I wondered how long it would last. I pinched my arm at the top of the steps. Ow. Okay. Not dreaming.

_Not dreaming_.

A smile slides across my face. Cloud asked me out. Nerves. And excitement. I knew what my answer would be.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, I saw Tifa, still sitting outside of our room. She stood when she saw me. "How was your walk?" she asked.

Before I faced Cloud tomorrow, I had to face Tifa now. "I'm sorry," I said. I took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry for being so reckless and impulsive. I should have listened to you. All I did was cause more trouble for everyone. I'm…I'm sorry." I sighed. It wasn't really enough, but it was a start.

Tifa shook her head. "I'm just glad you're okay. You had me so worried."

That was not what I'd been expecting, but it was all right by me. "Thank you." I managed a small smile. "Tifa…Cloud asked me out."

I'd been prepared for the look on her face, and it was as heartbreaking as I could have imagined. "What did you say?" she asked.

"Nothing yet. He told me to tell him tomorrow. I just…wanted you to hear it from me first."

"What will you say?"

"Um…yes. I want to. But…I also don't want to hurt you, Tifa."

She shook her head. "As long as Cloud is happy, I'll be happy. He deserves someone like you in his life."

I laughed. "You mean stubborn, reckless, and crazy?"

Tifa smiled. "I mean cheerful, strong, and brave."

"You're all of those things," I said, looking down at the ground.

"Not in the same way," she replied. "Not in the way he needs." She took a step toward me. "If you hurt him, though, I will make sure you regret it. Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, snapping a sharp salute. We smiled, and I sighed in relief, looking forward to tomorrow for the first time in a long time.


End file.
